Reinstate Polo as an Olympic Sport!

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Comment by Luis A. F. Wetzler on October 14, 2009 at 9:04am

Somebody had commented that one of the main reasons why polo was suspended from the Olympic sports was because there were too many Anglo Saxon sports admitted as part of the games. I believe that this is not the reason, as everybody knows, Argentine polo teams were those who won most of the competitions; here in PCW we have Luis Duggan whose grandfather was a glory of our polo together with Pepe Duggan his brother (Irish ancestry not English). Many years ago, when Pepe Duggan was still alive I saw him at some friends home and he said that the reason was that polo for most of the authorities of the Olympic Committee was a sport just “for few” or for an elite. Anyone who had visited Argentine knows that here we have thousands of players and fans. Just going to Palermo for an Open is a unique experience in polo, from both sides of the field you will see our fans following their teams with passion. Hope that the OC will review one day their decision.

Comment by Robert Billings on October 14, 2009 at 8:52am

I believe that we're being asked to weigh in on this as a lobbying effort. Polo was part of the Olympic programme in 1900, 1908, 1920, 1924 and 1936. This group is demostrating its support for the FIP in its lobbying of the IOC to reinstate Polo into the Olympics.

Comment by Luis A. F. Wetzler on October 14, 2009 at 8:37am

As a matter of fact I read that the Olympic Committee will consider to reintroduce rugby and golf as Olympic sports, but there is not a single mention to polo, do you know if the Federation of International Polo had asked to the O.C. to readmit polo as one of the sports to be played in the games, as had been in the past?

Comment by Robert Billings on October 14, 2009 at 8:23am

There are places in this world where disputes are settled with a polo match. Some villages nestled high in the mountainous regions of Pakistan still settle their deepest arguments with other villages on the backs of horses galloping full speed down dust choked fields with the Himalayas standing watch from behind them, dwarfing them like some huge, stony, white capped gods quietly awaiting the outcome.

No politics, no guns, no sanctions, no tanks and certainly no indecision. It’s been handled this way for a thousand years. Perhaps the rest of this crazy world could learn a thing or two about managing disputes from these old souls. Polo captures something as distinct and dynamic as the great people of this planet who play it and as enduring as the earth it’s played on. With the focus of the world on the Olympics, it might take a moment to reflect on the information afforded to us through the wisdom of the world’s oldest and most enduring sport. Polo. What we discover will amaze us. What we learn might teach us something about ourselves and our fellow man that continues to elude us.
And isn't that what the Olympics are for?

Comment by Mark A. Froehlich on October 11, 2009 at 9:44am

The Olympics are no longer a true "amateur" forum. Look at basketball. The American team consists of pro players - no amateurs. Also, although I don't know, I believe that more countries play polo than are involved in the other equestrian events.

Handicaps should help to even the playing field. I still believe that Polo should be an Olympic sport.

Comment by Gibb Bauer on October 9, 2009 at 1:21am

As the oldest sport in the world, of course polo should be an Olympic sport. There may be arguments that the sport is too expensive and it will be dominated by the wealthy. But that is not necessarily so. I think it would be interesting to see how the wealthy "pros" do against the unknown competitors of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Argentina. There is really no substitute for hunger, determination, and hard work, and with enough of those qualities, anyone can win.

Comment by Mark A. Froehlich on October 2, 2009 at 12:46pm

In how many countries is polo played in. An Olympic push back on polo has been that not enough countries would be represented in the sport for a summer games sport. So, please let me know. I have a family member who serves on the IOC. He is in Copenhagen right now.

Comment by Christopher Grace on August 3, 2009 at 6:49am

My history is a little fuzzy, but I think polo was originally removed from the Olympics based on the notion there were too many "Anglo" sports in the games. Which is why, I think, sports like rugby or golf are also not included. In my general opinion I have really stopped caring about the Olympics. Beijing last year every time I watched the games it was sports like synchronised swimming, some sort of karate event, or BMX biking which seemed like adults riding children's bicycles over dirt pumps. I wouldn't be surprised if underwater basket weaving is a new event for 2012. Even though it is the world's oldest team sport and played in almost every country, it will never make it into the Olympics because it's just not politically correct enough.

Comment by mauricio sordelli on June 25, 2009 at 2:29am

urgently polo at olympic games.
full hcp and with own horses, 7 or 8 chuk.
every country have to meke its best team. then applie the hcp.
everybody will progress.
remember when nba players went to the games. et the very begining they won all the matches. then, some other teams beat nba stars because they learn how to play against the stars.
in olympic games there are a looooot of pro: basket, jumping, athlets, tenis, etc, etc
everybody is pro at the olympics

Comment by Victor Wolf on June 17, 2009 at 10:13am

should be in the Olympics, like Jumping and other horse sports

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