Fwd: Elephant Polo begins in Meghauli

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Elephant Polo <stopelephantpolo

Nov 20, 2007 1:55 PM

Elephant Polo begins in Meghauli

aapn , azam24x7

 

 

Link: http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=30576

 

Elephant Polo begins in Meghauli [ 2007-11-20 ]

By Our Correspondent

CHITWAN, Nov. 19: The 26th World Elephant Polo Championship (WEPC)

organised by the World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) began Monday

on the grass airfield at Meghauly located at the edge of the Chitwan

National Park.

 

A total of 12 team, including three from Nepal, are competing in the

championship. Chitwan National Park, Tiger Tops Tusker, British Army

are representing Nepal.

 

Similarly, Chivas Regal from Scotland, Andrew Martin from England,

Trinklias and Ivoris from Singapore, Indian Tigers Caledonian from

India, Chopard from Hong Kong, Arian Wheeler from America and Elephant

Polo from Australia are contesting in the event.

 

Angus Estates had claimed the 25th WEPC title defeating Chitwan

National Park team last year. The National Park team had won WEPC for

seven times and Tiger Tops Tuskers eight times.

 

The Elephant Polo played in similar format of Horse Polo was first

organised in 1982. Four elephant teams compete over two 10-minute

chukkas on a pitch one-third the size of horse polo pitch, about the

size of a football pitch. �Mahouts' or drivers control the elephants,

whilst the players concentrate on wielding extra long polo sticks.

 

Elephant polo was first played in India at the turn of the 20th

century by members of the Maharaja's Harem (Zenena) to keep them busy.

WEPA is the first paramount organization in the modern times to host

and create elephant polo as a game with organized competitions.

 

The first games were played with a soccer ball, but after finding that

the elephants like to smash the balls, the soccer ball was replaced

with a standard polo ball. The sticks are made of bamboo and have a

standard polo mallet on the end. The length of the stick depends on

the size of the elephant - anywhere from 5 to 12 feet.

 

The World Elephant Polo Association, founded 25 years ago in Nepal by

two British, James Manclark and Jim Edwards, also host the Elephant

Polo in Sri Lanka and Thailand. But the game could not be organised in

India as the animal rights organisations protested.

 

Rampreet Yadav, team captain of Chitwan National Park, said this

championship would help popularize the game in the international

arena. He informed that 20 elephants that include 12 from National

Park and eight from Tiger Tops have been employed in the championship.

 

 

 

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