Many indigenous sports were organized in the recently concluded Sangai festival in Manipur to motivate and encourage the young generation.
One such sport organized during the festival is Polo, which is believed to have originated in Manipur.
Known locally as 'sagol-kangjei', Polo is preserved by many clubs in Manipur. Teams from across the world enthusiastically come to participate at the annual Sangai festival.
Players from India, Poland, Thailand, United States, South Africa, England, Mongolia and France participated in the 8th edition of Manipur Polo International 2014 held at Mapal Kangjeibung.
The event was organized by Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association.
President of Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association, S. Buddhachandra Singh, said that their main aim is to popularize the game of Polo and develop Polo tourism.
"Our aim and objective is to save Manipuri ponies, to popularize the game of polo at its original place and spread the news to the world that the present day polo originates from our traditional sagol kangjei. And lastly to develop polo tourism," Singh said.
Also Read
Array
Bob Leary, a Polo player from USA, said that he very excited to participate in the event and experience the culture of India.
"I coordinated the team last year and got to know the members of the horse riding and polo association. I put together another team this year. They are a young team and they are very excited to be here and participate in the tournament and experience the culture of your country," Leary said.
Another game organized as a part of the Sangai festival was the traditional Mukna Kangjei or Wrestling Hockey, which is regaining popularity in the state.
The game is played between 2 teams of 7 players each with every player equipped with a bamboo stick about 4 feet in length, which looks like a modern hockey stick.
The game requires players to possess good speed, stamina, strength, agility and skills of wrestling.
Many other indigenous sports like Thang-ta, Yubi Lakpi and Mukna were also organized during the Sangai festival.