Although its precise roots are unknown, polo is arguably the oldest team sport. Although the first tournament was presumably contested by nomadic warriors about 2,000 years ago, it was first officially recorded around 600 B.C. (between the Turkomans and the Persians – the Turkomans were victorious). According to legend, the name “pholo” means “ball” or “ballgame” in Tibetan.
Since its origins in Persia—where Kings, Princes, and Queens participated—the game has frequently been linked to the wealthy and illustrious in society. With its roots in the British militia, Polo has also been associated with the middle and upper classes in more recent British history.
On horseback and nearly like a small war, it was utilized in the Middle Ages to train cavalry across the East (from Japan to Constantinople). Through British tea plantations in Manipur (a region between Burma and India), it was first made known to people in the west. Later, it spread to Malta with the help of soldiers and naval officers. Officers stationed at Aldershot, one of whom had read about the sport in a magazine, organised the first game of “hockey on horseback” in Britain in 1869 on Hounslow Heath.
It took Captain John Watson of the British Cavalry 13th Hussars, an Irishman, until the 19th century to establish the first formal written rules, which served as the foundation for the current international rules. The Hurling-ham Rules, which limited the number of players on each team, were created in 1874 as an update to these.
Since its resurgence in the 1940s, Polo is now played in more than 77 nations. Between 1900 and 1939, it was a recognized Olympic sport, and the International Olympic Committee currently again recognizes it.
Only 3 players in the international circuit are left-handed, and left-handed play was banned in 1975 for safety reasons. The game is played right-handed.
