Manipuri Sagol Kangjei Polo Origin Imphal Manipur

Manipuri polo (Sagol Kangjei) played in the Imphal valley of Manipur is widely recognized as the original form of polo from which the modern international sport descends. Historical records from the Cheitharol Kumbaba royal chronicle of the Meitei kingdom document polo matches on Manipuri ponies (Meitei Sagol) in the valley as early as the 7th century CE — more than a thousand years before polo was codified as a sport by British cavalry officers in Assam and Manipur in the 1850s. Sagol Kangjei is played on a smaller field than international polo, on smaller Manipuri ponies, with a bamboo-root ball (pulu — which gave polo its name in English) and bamboo sticks with cylindrical heads. The Manipuri pony is a distinct hill breed — small (11 to 13 hands), sturdy, and exceptionally agile on uneven ground — originating from cross-breeding of Tibetan, Mongolian, and local stock. The breed is recognized by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. The Kangla Fort polo ground in Imphal is considered the birthplace of modern polo. Annual polo tournaments are held in Manipur to maintain the tradition. The Manipuri pony faces population decline as mechanized agriculture reduces demand for equine work animals. Conservation breeding programs run by the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association and NRC-Equines, Hisar work to preserve the genetic purity of the Meitei Sagol breed.