National polo team trains at Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club
Hyderabad: The National Arena Polo Team is undergoing an intensive training camp at Hyderabad Polo & Riding Club (HPRC). A week-long training is being conducted ahead of zone ‘E’ playoffs of the II FIP Arena Polo World Championship.
Saudi Arabia will host the pre-qualifiers from April 21-26, 2025 as India are competing against Pakistan and Iran for a coveted spot at the World Championship in the United States later this year.
Meanwhile, a selection committee of the Indian Polo Association (IPA) led by chairmanship of Lt Gen Rajinder Dewan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd) has announced the selection of a 10-12 goal team. The selected players and their arena handicaps are:
Sawai Padmanabh Singh (+5)
Shanmsheer Ali (+5)
Hurr Ali (+3)
Naveen Singh (+4)
Lt Col Vishal Chauhan (+3)
Nk Ravinder Mang (+2)
The selected players are undergoing focused training at HPRC’s floodlit international-standard sand arena, which is considered among the best-equipped facilities for arena polo in Asia.
Chaitania Kumar, founder-president of HPRC, called it a proud moment for Hyderabad and Telangana to welcome the Indian team.
“Their presence here not only puts the spotlight on HPRC but also aligns with our long-term vision — to bring the 2027 FIP Arena Polo World Championship to Hyderabad. With the right support and international collaboration, this is well within our reach,” Kumar said.
In its formal proposal sent to the Advisor (Sports), Government of Telangana, the HPRC has requested that an official state delegation attend the pre-qualifiers in Saudi Arabia. This delegation would represent Telangana and support Team India on the global stage, initiate diplomatic engagement with FIP officials to lobby for Hyderabad as the host city for the 2027 edition of the Arena Polo World Championship, the proposal added.
