SEP 3, 1875: After its introduction by British ranchers, the first official game of polo is played in Argentina. The traditional stick & ball field sport played on horseback was brought to the Western world having originated from the ancient aristocratic Persian (Iranian) game of Chovgan dating back 2000yrs and was widespread with Asian nomadic peoples & even Genghis Khan. From the Middle Ages, polo was an important national pastime that saw patronage from noblemen and was part of royal education for the ruling classes. In 1605, with the framing of new rules, polo would soon come to be called "the sport of Kings" for its appeal to high society & military officers, and by 1859, the first European clubs would be established in India by English tea planters with a host of teams representing principalities in the British Raj dominating the international scene til the 1910's. As formal rules kept being re-drawn into the modern game, polo had reached Samoa by the 1890's and from 1900-36, was in the Olympics (with Argentina winning gold in Paris 1924 and Berlin 1936). While popular in the UK, its greatest presence was throughout South America and Argentina in particular as their gauchos (horsemen) are notable masters in riding. As tournaments were consistently highly successful, by 1978 the proposal of competitions beween countries gained significant traction and in Nov 1982, the Federation of International Polo was founded in Buenos Aires and to date, has over 100 member countries. The FIP also sees play indoors & in snow; on camels, elephants & yaks; participation with women & children; hosts several championships; conducts umpiring & coaching sessions; and supports the breeding of ponies.
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