How arena polo and a golden chukker revived Gujarat’s equestrian legacy – Firstpost

The final chukker ended on Sunday at the grounds of the Gujarat Polo Club in Ahmedabad with the crowd holding its collective breath.

After three days of high-octane competition, the final between the Pune Warriors and Mayfair Polo had ground to a 7-7 stalemate.

In the world of polo, there is no more dramatic conclusion than a “golden chukker” — a sudden-death overtime where the first goal takes the glory.

Under the floodlights, with the rhythmic thud of hooves echoing against the arena boards, the deadlock was finally broken. Pune Warriors’ Lance Watson struck the decisive blow, defeating Mayfair Polo 8-7 in a nail-biting finish.

Earlier that day, the Ladies exhibition match saw the Lions Den Legends edge out the Apollo Aviators in a tight 4-3 victory.

While the scorelines will be etched into the record books, the real victory lies in the format itself.

This was the inaugural edition of the Ahmedabad Polo Tournament, and it represents a strategic, high-stakes gamble to revive a heritage sport in Gujarat through a faster, louder, and more accessible version of the game: Arena Polo.

In this part 2 of 2 features by Firstpost on polo in Gujarat, we look at how this format has literally changed the game on the field and given the sport’s revival journey a rare boost.

In the first feature, we
explored how Anay Shah-led Mayfair Polo was working to revive polo in Gujarat.

Understanding Arena Polo

To the uninitiated, polo is often visualised as a sprawling game played on massive grass fields — roughly the size of six football pitches.

However, the Gujarat Polo Tournament has pivoted toward the arena format, a variation that is fundamentally changing the sport’s commercial and social viability in India.

The choice of Arena Polo is tactical.

As Jayvirsinh Gohil, a founder member of the Gujarat Polo Foundation, explains, the format is designed to mimic the success of modern sporting leagues.

“Field Polo, which is very good polo — even I personally like it a lot — but according to me, it is like a One-Day match or Test Cricket,” Gohil tells Firstpost.

“Arena Polo format is like Pro Kabaddi, 20-20, which you see in IPL. Horses run close to each other, there is music, people have more interest and are more engaged.”

By keeping the ball in play using surrounding boards, the game eliminates the frequent pauses of field polo, and the inflatable ball is easier for spectators to track.

The architect of the revival: Jayvirsinh Gohil

The resurgence of the sport in this region is largely credited to Gohil.

As the president of the Gohilwad Polo Club and the only professional polo player from Gujarat, his mission has been 15 years in the making.

“I have been horse riding for many years and playing polo for 15 years,” Gohil reflects.

“The state of Gujarat — basically Bhavnagar, Saurashtra, and Gujarat — there was polo before when there was a princely state. And I noticed that there is no polo player here other than me.”

Gohil observed that while the polo cultures of Jaipur, Delhi, and Jodhpur remained robust, Gujarat’s equestrian traditions had faded from the professional competitive scene. His vision was to bring that culture back to the big cities of Gujarat.

“Our Gujarat Polo Club Foundation’s motive is to reach as many people as possible,” he says.

“Every year, we do one or two such tournaments for a week or two, so that players from all over India and Gujarat can play here and people can connect with the sport as much as possible.”

Why the arena model works: A pro speaks

The sentiment is echoed by the players on the ground. Dino Dhankhar, an international player with a +1 handicap who represented Mayfair Polo in the tournament, believes the arena format is the key to unlocking new markets.

“This first edition of this Arena Polo Tournament has been very well organised,” Dhankhar shares with Firstpost.

“I feel this segment of sport is something that attracts more audience and gives more thrill to people and can get more people into the sport.”

Beyond the spectacle, Dhankhar points to a pragmatic reality. “Arena polo doesn’t take a lot of money and not a lot of ground,” he explains.

“It is easier for beginners to start playing polo and people who love riding and want to join the sport. It’s a lot easier. Plus, it’s better for the audience as well to initially start understanding the game.”

This model is being viewed as a blueprint for other Indian cities where polo is currently absent.

By reducing the land requirements from 10 acres of manicured grass to a compact dirt or all-weather arena, the “Gujarat Model” could theoretically be exported to southern and eastern India, revitalising the sport nationwide.

A heritage reclaimed as well

Echoing Gohil, for Anay Shah, the youngest patron-player in India and the founder of Mayfair Polo, the tournament is about reclaiming a lost identity. He points to a history where Gujarat’s royal houses were not just participants, but global leaders in the sport.

“I hope Gujarat once again becomes a leading part of Polo in India like it was decades ago,” Shah tells Firspost.

He cites the legendary Maharaja of Rajpipla, His Highness Vijaysinhji, as a prime example.

The Maharaja didn’t just play in India; he was a world-famous racehorse owner and polo captain who competed in England, even winning the Epsom Derby in 1934 with his horse Windsor Lad.

“Gujarat had some good teams for Polo around the world,” Shah says.

“The tournament aligns with Mayfair Polo’s vision and values of promoting polo in India since polo is India’s gift to the world and it’s a heritage sport.”

Shah’s commitment to the Ahmedabad tournament is part of a broader push to associate Mayfair Polo with any high-level activity in the state.

“Since there has been no polo activity in Gujarat in the past couple of years, Mayfair Polo thought it should be a part of any kind of polo event happening to promote the sport in Gujarat and develop interests amongst the people.”

“Mayfair Polo is extremely keen to support all Polo activities in India,” Shah concludes.

Why Ahmedabad makes a compelling case

The success of this first edition has proven that Ahmedabad is ready to become the epicentre of Western India’s polo circuit.

• Infrastructure: As a burgeoning metropolis, Ahmedabad is ready for marquee sporting events with the necessary hospitality and logistical support.

• Climate: The region possesses the weather and facilities suited to year-round training, essential for maintaining a high-performing string of horses.

• Community: There is a growing ecosystem of riders, trainers, and equestrian enthusiasts in Gujarat, many of whom have been nurtured through Gohil’s horse shows over the last decade and a half.

The ultimate goal, as stated by the organisers, is to establish the tournament as Western India’s marquee annual Polo event.

With the first edition being hailed as a resounding success, more editions are already in the planning stages.

Gohil remains 100 per cent confident that this is only the beginning.

By utilising the Arena format, the Gujarat Polo Club Foundation has lowered the walls — metaphorically, if not literally — to invite a new generation of fans.

With young professional players like Dino Dhankhar and patrons like Anay Shah lending their weight to Jayvirsinh Gohil’s vision, the high-stakes push in Ahmedabad seems to have paid off.

The “golden chukker” that ended the tournament may have seen Pune Warriors take the trophy, but for the state of Gujarat, the revival of the “King of Sports” is the true prize.

At Firstpost, we extensively covered Indian polo through the 2024-25 season, first focusing on the 
_origins of the sport,_ and then diving deep into the 
_role of the Indian Armed Forces in reviving polo_ as well as the 
_challenges the sport faces_ in the subcontinent.

Now we are in the middle of a new series of features focusing on the 2025-26 Indian polo season.