The Indian Army arena polo team delivered a gritty performance, defeating the US Military in a thrilling test match, marking their first international engagement since 2019.
The Indian team, comprising Prithvi Singh, Yatinder Kumar, Mrityunjay Singh and RK Gautam, won 13-10 at the Lakeside Polo Club near Sacramento, USA.
Mrityunjay, despite sustaining an injury during the second chukker, continued to compete until the fourth chukker, before being substituted by Gautam.
Arena polo, while quite similar to the outdoor version is played on 300 feet by 150 feet field, enclosed by a wall of four or more feet in height. The regular polo is played on a 10-acre field with just the boundary lines and no walls.
A normal game of polo consists of four chukkas of seven-and-a-half minutes each. The arena game is played on a dirt surface with the ball bouncing on the uneven surface and off the arena wall.
