Women on top

While polo has been primarily dominated by men, women are breaking the glass ceiling and joining the sport that requires stamina, skill, and quick reflexes.

In a cricket-crazy nation, other sports often struggle to find recognition and Polo, despite having strong Indian roots, (the game originated in Manipur where it was known as Sagol Kangjei) has always been considered as a man's game. Polo has been a male-dominated sport for the last two centuries and for many years, there were hardly any women taking up the mallet. But that’s beginning to change now with the rise in the number of female players who are breaking the glass ceiling and joining the sport that requires stamina, skill, and quick reflexes. Women are now proving themselves to be fierce competitors and some of them are all set to showcase their skills and challenge stereotypes in an all-woman Polo international tournament in the city today. Organised by Amateur Riders’ Club (ARC), an evening of fast-paced tournament at the Mahalaxmi Race Course is bringing to town six women players, from domestic and international circuit — Rinaa Shah, Ashley Parekh, Carolyn Stimmel, Anna Winslow Palacios and Cindy Halle are members of Team Sternhagen and Team Carysil which has three players in each.

For 16-year-old Ashley Parekh’s, the youngest player in the tournament, her first brush with the game was at the age of 14. Growing up watching her father, Chirag Parekh, play polo, Ashley’s interest in the sport grew over a period of time. “I was more into basketball. I have been riding since six but after I played a few games with him my interest grew. Then I took it up as a sport,” she narrates. Having played four matches so far, Ashley is overwhelmed to be among experienced players and is excited about the tournament. “I love polo and horses. The players are very supportive. They are helping and advising me, but I am nervous,” she giggles.

For a sport that has long been associated only with men, this tournament is set to write a new narrative. “The impression of this sport in India is of mainly being a man’s game and that women can’t play. This tournament is to encourage women to start riding, play polo and show that it is possible for a woman to play this sport,” asserts Shyam Mehta, President, ARC.

And it is this pre-set perception that couturier Rinaa Shah hopes to break. For someone who started riding at the age of 38 and playing professionally at 40, gender was never a deciding factor. “In a sport, I never felt the gender divide. I didn’t want to stop just because there were no women. While some of the male players have been supportive, it has not been an easy trail in the last four years. Your love for the sport has to be bigger,” she says. It was a chance encounter that attracted this adventure junkie to this game. “I wanted to do it but wasn’t sure if I would be. I went to Argentina, UK and US to train as there weren’t any training schools and women were not playing,” she adds.

In the US, the percentage of women participating in the sport has been growing at a rapid pace. “In US, the sport has become more female oriented. I think 40 percent of the US Polo Association membership is women.

There are more women playing, programmes, tournaments and because of this, there is a pool of sponsorship pushing women to get better,” says US player Megan Carter Judge who is also the coach of Cal Poly State University polo team. Megan was coaxed into the sport by her grandfather at the age of 12 and now with over 20 years of experience in teaching polo and having won the Arena Masters Tournaments in three consecutive years, she believes that only by competing, women will become better at this game. “It feels great to be competing. When women compete against each other, it inspires them to practice, organise better and ride more. I think this competition will make women’s polo better in India,” smiles Megan. Having played in Manipur, she hopes to bring that same energy and excitement to the game.

Anna Winslow Palacios, who also played at Manipur feels this nothing less than a privilege. “I played at the 2017 Manipur Statehood Day Women’s Tournament. I also played an exhibition match in Jaipur and one arena in Hyderabad. I feel lucky for the opportunity to rub shoulders with Indian players,” she says. Playing since the age of nine, Anna feels fortunate to have stumbled upon Polo. “It is exhilarating. It is my passion. It taught me a lot of valuable lessons and drives me to succeed. It has made me determined and humble. I attribute all my success to Polo,” she declares.

With this tournament, Shayam hopes to garner city’s attention towards the facility of horse riding and polo right in the heart of the city and also expects more women to take up this royal sport. “The game is picking up in India very slowly. Five years from now, I hope we have women players that can take on any team in the world,” says the president.

Elaborating on one of the reasons for fewer women in Polo, Rinaa gives an instance. “I was hurt with seven stitches under my upper lip. If it would have been outside, I was living a scar. It is this fear that stops many parents from letting their kids pay Polo.” Despite the physical challenges, her primary goal still remains to inspire women towards this sport. “It is a hard sport and I want people to see only women playing. I am 44 and feel younger because when you play this sport, age doesn’t matter. It is so addictive. And if I could play, anybody can,” she concludes.