Polo

Polo is a fast sport played on horses. Two teams try to hit a small ball into the other team's goal. Players use long sticks called mallets. The game is played on a large grass field and is one of the oldest team sports in the world.

History of Polo

Polo is very old and started in Persia more than 2,000 years ago. Soldiers played it to practice riding and fighting. Later, the sport spread to India, where British people learned it in the 1800s. They brought polo to England and then to other countries. Today, polo is played all over the world.

How the Game Is Played

A polo team has four players on horses. Each game is split into parts called chukkas. Players swing their mallets to hit a hard ball toward the goal. The horses run very fast across the field. Good polo horses need to be strong, brave, and quick.

Fun Facts

• A polo field is bigger than nine football fields.
• Polo horses are called 'polo ponies' even though they are full-sized horses.
• Each player often uses several horses during one game.

Did You Know?

Polo is sometimes called the 'sport of kings' because many kings and queens from history loved to play it.