JEDDAH: Polo, often described as the king of games, is emerging as a competitive sport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Having originated in Persia as early as 600 BC when the first documented game took place, it moved east with the progression of empires and also surfaced in the UK in 1869 at Aldershot where it was played by army officers who returned from India.
Thanks to Mohammed Omer Alesayi and his generosity in allowing several keen but un-mounted players the use of his MOKA Arabian horses and sufficient space at his stables to play. The game is developing fast and has seen the rise of the fledgling and somewhat informal Jeddah Polo Club.
Under the watchful eye of Mohammed Mazin Alesayi’s stable manager who has now taken up the sport, the members practice regularly and have begun to take on some serious opposition.
The fastest way for players to develop is through competition. “There are not enough players, in the Kingdom, and we do not have enough trained horses to mount visitors,” said H.E. Zaighum Azam the Pakistan Consul General, Jeddah and one of the founding members of Jeddah Polo, “which meant that we were sort of standing still.”
Safi Koubasi of Juffali Automotive Company (JAC) took on the challenge of developing the profile and quality of local polo. With the support of Mercedes-Benz, Jeddah Polo has been able to play in countries where the sport is more developed, gaining experience and promoting awareness of the sport.
This weekend the team traveled to Cairo to “lock mallets” with a team representing the city.
Jeddah Polo has been played in South Africa and also became the first foreign team to play ‘tribal’ polo in Pakistan’s Northern Territories, since independence. “That was polo in its raw state,” said Bruce Cowley, a founder member of Jeddah Polo. “It was hard, fast and ultra competitive and showed us first hand just how the game must have been played as a battle substitute centuries ago.”
December 2008 saw Jeddah Polo’s first victory, against Val de Vie, in South Africa.
“What gave us the win was simple, we had a professional join us on No.3 and he created the play. Polo is no longer a game, it’s a sport and what is driving sport, internationally, is corporate sponsorship,” admitted Cowley.
Chenghez Khan, JAC marketing manager, expressed his pleasure at the team’s first win, “Polo is a sport that Mercedes-Benz has a long affiliation with, and we felt it was right for the brand, even though the sport is very new in the Kingdom.
That Jeddah Polo won a match against a recognized club, in a country where polo is so established, is fantastic and demonstrates that with a little support, local sportsmen can achieve success”.
Jeddah Polo is scheduled to play several away matches this year, as well as Arena Polo matches in Riyadh and Jeddah.
In the west particularly the game has been seen as exclusive and for the wealthy.
That is no longer so as professional players do not necessarily have to own their mounts. Today, more than 77 countries play polo. It was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1939 and has now been recognized again by the International Olympic Committee.
