Arena Polo World Cup ends in Azerbaijan
By Nazrin Gadimova
The Arena Polo World Cup, which was held under the slogan "Bringing Polo Home", drew to a close in the Azerbaijani capital Baku on September 8.
The European team Baltika celebrated victory at the tournament. Moreover, Baltika became the winner of a prize worth 100,000 euros out of the total prize fund of 250,000 euros.
The Arena Polo World Cup was held in the new Outdoor Polo Arena at the Elite Equestrian Centre in Baku. The event's highlights included a friendly game between the Azerbaijani team Chovgan and one of the competing teams, to reflect upon the roots of polo in Azerbaijan. The three-day tournament was presented by the Azerbaijani food company Milla jointly with World Polo GmbH and local partners.
In order to present this exclusive and exciting event on royal equestrian sports at a high level, organizers included expanded entertainment programs and parties featuring international celebrities.
It was a fantastic "back to the roots" for polo in Azerbaijan, and a huge success: high-level polo, fabulous players and more than 10,000 spectators of the tournament.
Chovgan, the original form of the polo sporting game that dates back thousands of years, is still played in Azerbaijan, but the modern version of the sport has not yet managed to gain a foothold in the land on the Caspian Sea.
Chovgan originated in the middle of the first millennium A.D. as a team game. It has been very popular for centuries both in Azerbaijan and Central Asia. Fragments of the game were portrayed from time to time in ancient miniatures, and detailed descriptions and rules of the game were also reflected in ancient manuscripts.
Only a few people know of the connection between chovgan and polo. It is a reminder of the roots of the original polo sport in Azerbaijan. Today, however, polo is going back to its roots and Azerbaijan has celebrated the first-ever polo competition in the country.