There's more to Argentina than Messi

The Amateur Riders Club (ARC) Polo ground was resonating with the neighing and snorting of horses. The place was teeming with spectators and horse riders.
And curious spectators were taking their seats to watch the Polo Cup exhibition match between ARC and Argentina. The international game between these two sides will be played today.

The riders, meanwhile, were getting accustomed to their horses. After all, polo is all about the rapport between a rider and his horse.

Meet ace rider Samir Suhag, who is leading the Indian contingent. “The purpose of the exhibition game is to let the Argentine players get used to the horses and build a rapport with them. The horse plays a greater role in this sport than the rider does,” he says.

According to Suhag, polo brings out the athlete in a horse just like football gets the best out of the athlete in men.

If you thought Argentina was all about Messi and Maradona, you are mistaken.
Argentina is rated as one of the top countries in polo. So much so that children take to horse riding at the age of six. “Polo’s popularity is at the same level as cricket in India. We  have vast fields and farm houses,” says Marcelo Araya, Argentina rider.

How different it is back home? Argentina captain Juan Jose Araya, who is also a veterinary doctor, says, “The ground here is very bumpy. We have greener patches and are much faster there.” The Argentines believe they have built enough rapport with the horses. So what if they have played just one exhibition game of 45 minutes? Maybe, a conversation with the Indian horses in local lingo would make their preparation complete.

@namitahanda