THE HISTORY OF POLO

A sport from Central Asia that would end up stirring passions in the West, that's right, what began as a training for cavalry units in ancient Persia later became a sport of the nobility and the upper class, even today, thousands years later, it is still considered a sport of kings.

As previously stated, polo was actually a training for warriors and cavalry soldiers, who provided maximum protection to the king or belonged to the elite troops. In polo he found a practice that allowed them to develop maneuvering skills, dexterity and strength on the horse; essential characteristics to consolidate an efficient army to carry out expansionist needs, which for the time was vital, given the constant colonization and invasion of territories.

Polo has not changed much since its inception, there is evidence that the queen and her ladies faced off against different kings and their courtiers.

Years later, polo would become the national sport of Persia, played by people of the nobility and the upper class, from here it is clear why today it is still associated with a sport of kings, (to learn more, read : POLO AND ROYALTY) both today and in ancient times it was practiced by men and women, there is evidence that the queen and her ladies faced different kings and their courtiers, approximately in the 6th century AD

The extension of the regions in which this sport was practiced was great, since it was very popular for the way it trained the cavalry; from Constantinople to Japan there are records of its practice in the Middle Ages.

How did a sport played in the Middle East end up in Britain and then the West?

It is said that, thanks to the presence of British tea growers in India, who were the first to witness this sport in that area, it became known later in the United Kingdom; However, the formal way in which it arrived on the island was not until the mid-1850s where the British cavalry drew up the first rules of the game and years later, it was already definitively established in England. The first polo club was founded shortly after, by the year 1872 the Monmouthshire Club was still open and others in Hurlingham quickly preceded it.

Polo became an Olympic discipline between the years of 1900 and 1936, the last edition that was played in Berlin and in which the gold medal was awarded to the Argentine team, since then bodies have been created to internationalize this sport, looking for it to be included again in the Olympic jousts, in 1982 for example, the International Polo Federation (IPF) was created, whose purpose is to give the necessary visibility to polo, to date, it is not yet included as an Olympic sport , for which it will also be outside Tokyo 2021.

Previously we mentioned that women's polo is not something current, but that it was also practiced in the past, archaeological remains of ancient Chinese civilizations were found, which prove how women played it not on horseback, but if riding a donkey, said remains were found in different playing fields of the time.

POLO IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Today polo is played in nearly 80 countries around the world and, unlike some sports, it is played throughout the year; yes, even under the snow; this modality is known as Snow Polo. It is usually played in St. Moritz, France and the main nations that practice this modality are: the United States, England and Argentina, followed by New Zealand and Austria.

To date, this sport is becoming stronger among young people, who every day are joining more and more to the practice and lifestyle of polo. That is why Krono Polo was born, a brand with the purpose of giving a new air to the game, as well as the new youths demand it, respecting the tradition and heritage that was created since the mid-1800s but with the technology and trends of the century. XXI.