BRITISH AIRWAYS : Promotes 2007 Sri Lankan ELEPHANT POLO Tournament

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http://eventsuk.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event & event_id=158520

 

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Elephant Polo Tournament

***

When:

14 - 17 Feb 2007 (annual)

Where:

Galle

 

International teams head to Sri Lanka's southern seaside town of Galle

to partake in the sixth annual Elephant Polo Tournament. This

extraordinary game is played beside the equally impressive historical

ramparts of the town's World Heritage Fort.

The tournament is hosted by the Ceylon Elephant Polo Association

(CEPA), an organisation founded by Geoffrey Dobbs, the man who brought

elephant polo to Sri Lanka.

 

Elephant polo was first played in India as a pastime of the Maharaja's

Harem, around the turn of the 20th century. The first games were

played with soccer balls but these were soon replaced with standard

polo balls, due to the elephants' tendency to puncture them. The

sticks are made of bamboo and have a standard polo mallet on the end.

 

The elephants are brought from all over Sri Lanka and are specifically

trained for the game. The aim is to hit the ball with a long stick

from the top of an elephant into the goal. Three elephants and three

players are used per team and each game consists of two seven minute

" chukkas " of playing time. Each elephant is accompanied by a mahout,

who sits on the elephant's neck and guides it with the use of his

legs, while the player sits on a rough-hewn saddle on the creature's

back. To ensure fair play, the elephants, mahouts and ends are changed

at half time.

 

For a comprehensive history of the sport, as well as elephant polo

news and events, visit the elephant polo website.

 

Related Information

 

Website:

World Elephant Polo Association Website

http://www.elephantpolo.com/

Website:

Ceylon Elephant Polo Association Website

http://www.elephantpolo.com/cepa/index.html

 

Overview

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Event details can change.

 

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