ELEPHANT POLO, a var. of >POLO played
on elephants. There are no restrictions as to the height,
weight or sex of the elephants. The game is officiated
by a senior umpire together with an assistant umpire mounted
on the referee elephant and the official referee who can
be on the referee elephant or be positioned on the sideline
near the center of the field. There are also two goal
judges, one at either goal, who declare the goals scored.
The game is played by four mounted players on each team.
The pitch is 120m long and 70m wide, marked with a center
line, a circle with a radius of 10m in the center of the
field. A semi-circle, in front of the goals, with a radius
of 20m, measured from the center of the goal line at either
end of the pitch forms a semi-circle called the D. The
game consists of two 10-minute chukkas of playing time,
with an interval of 15 min. Elephants and ends of the
pitch are changed at half time. Elephant polo is played
with a standard size polo ball made of willow root or
plastic, about 3 -3½in. in diameter, weighing about 4oz.
The ball is hit with mallets with long shafts, proportional
to the height of the elephants. No team may have more
than three elephants playing in one half of the pitch
at any given time. The play starts when the umpire throws
the ball between 2 opposing elephants inside the ring,
from outside the center circle. The end of a chukka is
signaled with a bell or a bugle. A goal is scored if the
ball travels over and across the goal line. No more than
one elephant from each side is allowed in the D. When
a player from one team commits a foul, the opposing team
is allowed a free hit from the spot the foul occurred
(spot hit). If a foul is committed within the D, the opposing
team is given a spot hit from a point on the 20m semi-circle
line opposite the middle of the goal. The ball may only
be hit once, i.e. should a player miss the ball, additional
swings at the ball may not be taken. Fouls include hooking
the opponent's stick; standing 'on' the ball; intentionally
hitting another player or umpire with a stick; and deliberately
crossing in front of an elephant when the opponent is
moving with a ball. An example of dangerous play can be
the so-called 'round house' swings. Such swings are allowed
only if there are no other players, or elephants, at risk
of being hit. If the elephants get too close to each other
the umpire can stop the play and separate them. The use
of the ankush (a riding crop) is generally forbidden during
the game; the ankush may be carried on elephants considered
dangerous by the mahouts. If there is any failure in the
elephant's harness, the play is stopped to repair it.
|
Should a stick be broken, when play is in the D, the game
is not stopped until the ball leaves the D. For a broken
stick when play is outside of the D, the game is stopped
while the player changes his stick. The players must wear
polo helmets or trad. sola topis. Should a player's hat
fall off outside the D, the game is stopped while the
hat is recovered; should the hat fall inside the D, the
game continues and will only stop when the ball is outside
the D. At the end of each match the elephants are given
sugar cane or rice balls with vitamins, while the players
can have cold beer or soft drinks, and not vice versa,
as is humorously stated in the official elephant polo
rules. In case of a draw, a penalty shoot-out is used.
The penalties are taken from the center of the D line
with no elephant defending the goal. Should it still be
a draw after all four players from each team have made
their hit then a sudden-death penalty shoot-out is used
to determine the winner.
History. The origins of elephant polo
played without fixed rules go back to the 1960s. The game
was initially practiced on the international level by
rich amateurs of exotic sports. |
Elephant polo is ardently supported by the Nepalese government
as an important part of the national heritage. The Elephant
Polo World Championships have been held since 1981. The
top teams from two international elephant polo leagues
play the final game. In 1982, the World Elephant Polo
Association, WEPA was formed in Chitwan, Nepal. Every
December, the Nepal Open Tournament is held in Megauly
under WEPA auspices. The sport is primarily practiced
in Nepal, but it is also known in India, Sri Lanka, Burma,
and in South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania and Mozambique.
In African countries elephant polo is a popular tourist
attraction. The world leading teams, both national and
international, include: National Parks Nepal, Swissair,
Brit. Gurkha Gladiators, Chivas Regal (India), Eldorado
(USA), Screwy Tuskers (USA), Harry Winston Rough Cuts
(Japan), Cresta Poonanhis (South Africa), International
Mercenaries, and Ladies International Team.
World Elephant Polo Association, The Internet: http://www.elephantpolo.com |
