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India, Pakistan to play polo after 65 years
by Lokendra Singh

     Jaipur: It was a visual treat for the sports lovers in Jaipur as the two neighbours played a polo match over the weekend at a colourfully organised tournament. Played between the Jaipur Club of India and Lahore Club of Pakistan, the exhibition match was held after 65 years at the Jaipur Riding Club. The last match between these two was played in 1940. Unlike other professional matches, the teams in this game did not enter the contest to win the game but for the bigger goal of developing the spirit of sportsmanship. "It's not about winning and losing, it's about playing a good game. It doesn't matter if we win or they win, because we have not come here to lose or win. We have come to play a good game so that it develops a spirit of sportsmanship and brotherhood between Indian and Pakistan," said Shaukat Ali Malik, a member of the Lahore Club polo team. The players of the Indian side were appreciative of the good game that the Pakistanis played. "There is no reason that we lost this game by one goal. Either of the teams could have lost the game. There are no specific reasons about it. Pakistani team played well and they won," said, Ransher Singh, a member of the Jaipur Club Polo team. The Pakistani team won the match by 6 goals to 5. However, the Pakistani players felt that the margin would have been different if they had brought their own horses. Polo considered to be the oldest of equestrian sports, has been a popular game among the royal families of Rajasthan. In 1987, India had won the world cup in International Horse Polo championships beating France. Since then the game has attracted many sports lovers towards this game.