NEW DELHI: The Indian Polo Association and PS Ventures have announced the first edition of the Indian Arena Polo League (IAPL). The league, a four-week affair, will be played in Delhi and Jaipur in April and will have players from 20 countries participate in the auction process.
Indian players like Simran Shergill, Dhruvpal Godara, Shamsheer Ali, Col Vishal Chauhan and the current Indian captain HH Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur will participate.
The league will be played in the arena polo format which is the quicker and more exciting format of the game. Team owners will own six franchisees in this league and all the matches will be broadcast live on TV and OTT platforms.
The first polo club in India was established at Silchar, Assam, in 1834 and India sent the sport to the world. Calcutta Polo Club, set up in 1862, among the oldest and still in existence, was established by two British soldiers, Sherer and captain Robert Stewart.
The secretary of the Indian Polo Association, Colonel Rohit Dagar, said, “The intention to create the Indian Arena Polo League has the complete support of the IPA. With this, the sport will gain a younger and global audience.”
Former captain of the Indian Polo team & co-founder & CEO of the Indian Arena Polo League, Colonel Tarun Sirohi said, “We are going to create a Lifestyle experience having fashion, glamour and luxury centered around the sport of Polo. A truly world class product which India has never seen before.”
Arena polo is similar to the T20 version of cricket, with smaller grounds, bigger balls, coloured clothing, cheerleaders, etc. The League will be the first of its kind in the world. The first edition is going to start on 13 April 13 and the finals will be played on 7 May.
Arena polo is fast gaining popularity all over the world including India, the US, the UK, Dubai, Spain and Australia. The Federation of International Polo is an active supporter of the league and will include the league in its international marquee event calendar. The league will be a perfect amalgamation of sport, fashion and lifestyle.
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