 | |
| Founded | 1862 |
|---|---|
| Based in | Kolkata |
| Stadium | Pat Williamson Ground |
| President | Keshav Bangur |
| Website | www |
Calcutta Polo Club is a polo club located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was established in 1862 and is considered to be the world's oldest polo club. [1] [2]
The modern game of polo, though formalised and popularised by the British, is derived from Manipur (now a state in India) who played the game known as 'Sagol Kangjei', 'Kanjai-bazee', or 'Pulu'. [3] It was the anglicised form of the latter, referring to the wooden ball which was used, that was adopted by the sport in its slow spread to the west.
In 1862 the Calcutta Polo Club was established by two British soldiers, Captain Robert Stewart and (later Major General) Joe Sherer. [4] They were inspired by the game in Manipur and later they spread the game to their peers in England.
The club runs the oldest and first ever Polo Trophy, the Ezra Cup (1880), besides other old ones such as the Carmichael Cup (1910) and the Stewarts Cup (1932). [4] In earlier days matches were played between various royal dynasties of India.
After a period of inactivity, the club was rejuvenated, hosting a two-week polo tournament, the "BFL Corporation Polo Season", in December 2006.
The club provides advanced professional training in polo to aspiring professionals and amateurs. Members can keep their own horses in the club stables, or can book or use any of the horses available in the club. Students can enroll in a special subsidised student training programme in polo. Apart from training, the club organises various polo tournaments, which are mostly held in December in the Pat Williamson Ground, popularly known as Polo Grounds in Kolkata.
Ezra Cup, the first ever polo trophy in the world, is named after Sir David Ezra, a leading Jewish business tycoon in Calcutta who patronized the sport in the city. The first Ezra Cup was held in 1880.
As part of its 150 years celebration, the Calcutta Polo Club organized Ezra World Cup at the Pat Williamson Ground, Kolkata from 18–25 December 2011. It has been doing so since 2006 when the game was revived in Kolkata by Calcutta Polo Club president Keshav Bangur.
Calcutta Polo Club is in its 150th year making it the oldest polo club in the world still in existence, and the hosts made the 2011 season a treat to remember. Calcutta is also home to the oldest polo ground in the world still in use — Pat Williamson, most suited for the Ezra Cup- also the oldest polo trophy in the world. [5]
After years of neglect the Calcutta Polo Club was put in cold storage by the army in 1998 through a resolution and the season was revived in 2006, at the initiative of Keshav Bangur. "We are happy that the army is cooperating with us to make the season a success now, and hope to get their continued support going forward," said the president of the polo club, well aware of the challenges ahead. [6] [7]
Very young kids are made to walk under the feet of polo ponies and mount the horses at the Calcutta Polo Club. "We do all this to familiarize the children with the horses. This has to be done so that the children lose their fear. Just after they join, we make the children pass under the horses. Once they climb the mounts, they are made to perform all kinds of exercises. They have to stretch their bodies to either side while controlling the horses. After all, they are being trained for polo where they have to learn other skills apart from riding," said Keshav Bangur in an interview to Times of India. [8]
As a part of a range of initiatives from Keshav Bangur of the CPC, which has turned 150 in 2011, a lot is being done promote the sport in the city. The sport of polo has been thrown open to the youngsters. Till recently, polo was considered a sport fit for kings because of being an expensive sport and the middle-class preferred to stay away till Keshav Bangur announced a special scheme for students. [8] [9]
"All one needs to do is download a form from the internet, fill it up and submit it with a certificate from the school principal. The charges for the two-month course are a bare minimum that any parent can afford. From every batch that comes in, a few stay back to continue with full-fledged polo. The remaining go back trained in riding. In this way, we now have 20 boys and girls playing full-fledged polo," Keshav Bangur said.
The CPC have a veteran from the 61st Cavalry of the Indian Army — the largest non-ceremonial horse-mounted cavalry unit in the world — to handle the training and stabling aspects. While the children are learning the ropes, so are the "sahis", or helpers. One of them has become a full-fledged polo player already and is eligible to earn Rs 12,500 in any tournament he participates in. "Kolkata is now again emerging as an important location for polo. Nowadays, people are coming to the city to purchase polo ponies," Bangur said. [8]
Keshav Bangur, CEO of BFL Corporation is the president of Calcutta Polo Club. He was instrumental in bringing back the club to its former glories. [10]
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team's goal. Each team has four mounted riders, and the game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas or "chukkers".
Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commercial, and financial hub of Eastern India and the main port of communication for North-East India. According to the 2011 Indian census, Kolkata is the seventh-most populous city in India, with a population of 45 lakh (4.5 million) residents within the city. It is a part of Kolkata Metropolitan Area which has a population of over 1.41 crore (14.1 million) residents making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India. In 2021, the Kolkata metropolitan area crossed 1.5 crore (15 million) registered voters. The Port of Kolkata is India's oldest operating port and its sole major riverine port. Kolkata is regarded as the cultural capital of India. Kolkata is the second largest Bengali-speaking city after Dhaka. It has the highest number of nobel laureates among all cities in India.
The Calcutta Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the rugby match between England and Scotland played annually in the Six Nations Championship. Like the match itself (England–Scotland), the Calcutta Cup is the oldest trophy contested between any two international rugby union teams, pre-dating the Bledisloe Cup by 53 years, 135 days. It is also the oldest of several trophies awarded under the umbrella of the Six Nations Championship, which include the Millennium Trophy (England–Ireland), Centenary Quaich (Ireland–Scotland), Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (France–Italy), Auld Alliance Trophy (France–Scotland), the Doddie Weir Cup (Scotland–Wales) and the Cuttitta Cup (Italy–Scotland).
Football in India is among the three most popular sports in terms of player participation and TV viewership, together with cricket and kabaddi. India's top domestic competition is the Indian Super League, formed with eight teams in 2014, recognised by the AFC as the national football league. The Santosh Trophy is a knock-out competition between Indian states and government institutions.
The Indian Football Association, abbreviated as IFA, is the organisation that administers association football in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the oldest Football Association in India and was founded in 1893. Among the founders was former English international Elphinstone Jackson.
Calcutta Cricket & Football Club, popularly known by its abbreviation CC&FC, is an Indian multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1792 as a cricket institution, the football and rugby sections were added when it merged with the Calcutta Football Club in 1965.
East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region roughly corresponds to the historical region of Magadha from which it inherits its various Eastern Indo-Aryan languages.
The Rovers Cup was an annual football tournament held in India, organized by the Western India Football Association. Incorporated in 1890, it was the second oldest tournament in India after Durand Cup.
Rugby union in India is a minor sport. However, it is a fast-growing sport as some Indian sporting clubs are beginning to embrace the game. Rugby union is the second most popular winter sport after association football in India, which itself trails greatly in popularity to cricket.
Dalhousie Athletic Club is an Indian multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. It was established in 1880, during the British rule in India. The club tent is located in Mayo Road, Kolkata Maidan, in Esplanade. Dalhousie competed in the Premier Division of Calcutta Football League for a long time.
The Ezra Cup is a popular polo tournament conducted annually in India by the Calcutta Polo Club. It is claimed The Ezra Cup was first held in 1880. After a period of inactivity, it has now been revived by Keshav Bangur, Calcutta Polo Club's president.
India is the birthplace of modern polo. The modern game of polo is derived from Manipur, where the game was known as 'Sagol Kangjei', 'Kanjai-bazee', or 'Pulu'. It was the anglicised form of the last, referring to the wooden ball that was used, which was adopted by the sport in its slow spread to the west.
Eastern Railway FC is an Indian institutional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Widely known for the association football team, the club was incorporated in 1882, and currently competing in CFL Premier Division B.
The Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) is a horse racing organisation which was founded in 1847 in Calcutta, British India. Horse events and sports were initially organised for the British cavalry at Akra before they were moved to the Maidan. The RCTC became the foremost horse-racing organization in India during the British Raj. At one time it was the governing body for nearly all racecourses in the subcontinent, defining and applying the rules governing the sport. During its heyday, RCTC-organised races were among the most important social events of the bigwigs' calendar and were opened by the Viceroy of India. Still a private club, the RCTC operates Kolkata Race Course in the Maidan.
Sports in West Bengal has its own importance. Cricket and football are the most popular sports in the Indian state of West Bengal.
The Trades Cup is an Indian football tournament held in Kolkata and organised by Indian Football Association. Incorporated in 1889, it is the second oldest football tournament in Asia and oldest football tournament in Kolkata. It is the traditional curtain raiser for the Kolkata football season.
Calcutta Hockey League is a field hockey league organized by Hockey Bengal. The first edition was held in 1905. It is a division based league held at Kolkata and is the oldest field hockey league in India. Until the formation of the top division national leagues such as Premier Hockey League and Hockey India League post 2000s, the Calcutta Hockey League was the most competitive league in the country.
Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional field hockey club located in Kolkata, West Bengal. It participates in various tournaments conducted by Hockey Bengal. The team plays its home matches mostly at the Mohun Bagan Ground and also at the SAI Sports Complex at Salt Lake Stadium.
Calcutta Customs Club is an Indian institutional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal, which is known for its association football section, that competes in the Calcutta Football League.