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Bollywood comes to Windsor
While India is now considered to be the home of modern polo, this last Sunday, India came to Sydney on the occasion of a very tight and tough World Cup Trial Test Match between India and Australia, who will be pitted against each other in the Polo World Cup in Mexico in 2007.
Sponsored by the Indian Government Tourist Office and hosted by its Director Mr Shanker Dhar, the Windsor Test Match was a coming together of the titans, not only in terms of the riders, but also the horses, many on loan from the stables of the late Kerry Packer and the Ashton family.
The origin of polo is lost in time, but it is in India that this game of kings was rediscovered, having been nurtured since medieval times and where it is still being played today.
Its popularity became firmly established by Barbar the founder of the Mughal dynasty in the 15th century and during the period between the decline of the Mughal dynasty and the upsurgeance of British Imperial rule, it almost vanished from the mainland India.
Fortunately for the world, Polo survived in a few remote mountainous locations, where life continued much the same as it ever had and Polo continued to be played in the traditional manner.
In India, the popularity of polo has declined and recovered many time, but it has never lost its royal status. In recent years, privately owned teams have started playing ensuring a resurgence in playing and interest in polo in India.
Today in India, Polo is not just restricted to the royalty and the Indian Army, but it has become a corporate game with many companies patronising the sport, which is also the same in Australia as demonstrated by Goldman Sachs JB Were also being sponsors of the game, a real taste of Incredible India in Sydney.
In the last 4 seconds of the game, Jock Mackay scored the winning goal for Australia to make the 8-8 score, 9-8 to Australia. The game was no more than 1 goal difference for the entire 6 chukkas. The Indians played superbly on their kindly lent horses & the thrill of the match was the icing on the cake for a wonderful celebration of polo.
Team Members
India: Simran Shergill 4, Bashir Ali 5, Angad Kalaan 5, Manupal Godara 3
Australia: Richard Rawlings 4, Jock Mackay 4, Ed Goold 4, Simon Walker 4
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