People will fall in love with Champions Polo League, says George Meyrick
Polo runs in George Meyrick’s blood. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, Meyrick took to the sport as duck to water. At just 15, Meyrick became the youngest ever to compete in a senior England team, winning the European tournament and the World Cup in his first season before performing an encore four years later.
All set to feature in the inaugural Champions Polo League (CPL) in March next year, the brainchild of Gujarat business magnet and avid polo player Chirag Parekh, the star England player is excited to turn out in a professional league in India.
“I am lucky to be a part of it. A lot of people believe this is the future of polo and I have been talking about it. There is a lot of interest (in polo) but nobody has actually taken the bull by the horns and done anything. Chirag’s the first guy to do it. Hats off to him. I feel very lucky to be associated with it and be a part of it,” Meyrick told this paper.
“Sky is the limit. We start with baby steps now with Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur among six teams to be named in the event. There have been many pro leagues in India like kabaddi, wrestling and they have all done incredibly well. I don’t want to compare, but you can’t put them in the same category. The excitement value of watching kabaddi and polo is very very different.
“The first time I watched kabaddi, I remember talking to Chirag afterwards. If kabaddi is working, if people are interested in watching this, then people are going to fall in love with polo. The sport has so many different aspects to it. You have the horses, the speed, the adrenaline, the teamwork, it’s just impressive. With the new rules we are putting in place it really is going to be very, very special,” he added.
Meyrick turned pro in 2006 and a year later was picked for the High-Goal team in Dubai where he played alongside Adolfo Cambiaso, considered one of the best polo players ever.
“I started playing at six or seven at the pony club. I played in school and from there it got more serious. My grandfather played, my father played, that’s how I got into it,” the 28-year-old said.
‘India has a huge polo history’
Asked what do he likes most about Indian culture, Meyrick, who has played in Argentina, Dubai, China, Mexico and Spain among other countries, said, “the one thing I like is the history with polo here. I played in Calcutta, the oldest capital in the world, 150 years old. I was there for the World Cup.
“While growing up I heard stories from my grandfather of the famous Indian team that went to England. Everywhere you go, even the hotel, you go in and you see these polo trophies and black and white polo pictures. There is such a huge history of polo here. I love that.”
During his stint with the Dubai team, Meyrick won the Queen’s Cup and reached the final of the Gold Cup before a broken foot kept him out of the game for two years.
In 2012, Meyrick represented England against the Commonwealth at Beaufort in the Audi International Series before playing in the 2013 World Cup in China.
Meyrick has played quite a few times in the country and is upbeat about playing again here in March.
“There are so many things. I have made a lot of good friends here over the times. It was nice meeting them. Chirag is an example. We played a lot together and came close. I think it was one of those things. The more I have come, I have fallen in love with the place.
“I think I will have to say Jodhpur. It is magical. There is something magical about Jodhpur. Baapji (the so called king) is the coolest guy I know. The Umaid Bhawan palace and the fort, I just don’t know anywhere else in the world like that. I have really fallen in love with this place. It’s brilliant,” added Meyrick, who has turned out in charity games with the Royal Family’s Prince Williams and Prince Harry.
Currently Meyrick is the second most followed polo player on social media after Ralph Lauren model and professional polo player Nacho Figueras.
