Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) The Indian team is off for the World Cup Polo Championships in San Luis, Argentina, to be played Oct 10-21.

India, winners of the Asian-Australasian-African Championships final at the Royal Selangor Polo Club, are leaving early to get acclimatised to the local ground, weather conditions and the horses they will be using during the tournament.

The Indian Polo Association ran a 25-day national coaching-cum-fitness camp Sep 1-25 under national coach Brigadier V.P. Singh (Retd) at the 61st Cavalry Polo Ground, Jaipur. The team will play some practice matches in Argentina before the World Cup.

The ten top teams which will participate from all over the world include India, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Pakistan, the US and two teams from Zone ‘C’.

India won the zonal play-offs, beating Pakistan 12-9 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was the first-ever international polo title outside India in the Asian-Australasian-African Championships final at the Royal Selangor Polo Club. In the process, India also became the first country to lift the new Malaysia Cup, a sterling Silver Cup with an engraving of the Bunga Raya hibiscus, Malaysia’s national flower.

Indian had earlier beaten Pakistan in 2000 and 2007 and thus maintained their supremacy over their neighbours.

India is considered among the four best teams in the world and has a great chance in the World Cup.

“This is the best polo team from India in 20 years. This team has a bright future. Indian polo has come of age and we will be heading to Argentina (for FIP Polo World Cup Finals) with confidence,” said Indian team manager Vikram Singh Rathore.

The Indian team is sponsored by Team Jindal Polo, Jindal Steel and Power, Hemant Sagar, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Ashok Piramal Group, Achrysil India Ltd, Gaj Singh of Jodhpur and Tilak Nagar Industries.