Playing Polo | Argentina Open Polo Championship In Buenos Aires
And it is in Argentina that every year one of the most important polo championships in the world, the Campeonato Argentino de Polo, takes place.
As it has been said, polo was born in Persia, where it was mostly considered as a training for horse units. With the passing of time it became a national sport that above all nobility went in for, and became more and more widespread during the Middle Ages, reaching Japan. The game, as it is known nowadays, was formalised in Manipur around the 1st century a.d., and it was one of the three forms of hockey. In Manipur not only rich people spent their time playing polo, but also common people who had a horse, and tournaments took place in game fields used for this scope. It was thanks to England that this sport was taken to Europe: between the 19th and the 20th centuries British soldiers took polo to their homeland, and the first rules were fixed in 1874 by the Hurlingham Polo association. Polo as it was played in England was a bit different from the polo played in Manipur, and this was evident in particular as far as the speed of the game was concerned: the English version was much slower, and the game became less aggressive.
With the passing of time this sport has widespread enormously, and in the same way also the number of tournaments and fields has increased. One of the most important tournaments takes place every year in Buenos Aires, and it attracts every year a number of sport lovers. It is the 5th oldest polo tournament in the world, and the 2008 edition will take place from the 15th November to the 6th December in an historic location, the Campo Argentino de Polo, which is well-known for being the Cathedral of Polo, a stadium that was inaugurated in 1928 and that can host 30,000 spectators. In this stadium not only Polo Tournaments, but also Hockey matches and concerts of famous bands take place. However, the polo championship is the main event taking place there, and it is an important happening for all polo lovers, who have the possibility to see the best players and teams in the world (the best international teams, indeed, take part in the tournament), and this year it will celebrate its 115th edition!
However, it is not only an important sport event, but also an interesting social happening, since among the visitors you can find also important people and celebrities.
Do not miss the chance to discover the ancient game of polo, and to visit one of the most bustling cities in the world, with its delicious food and wine, its natural and artistic sights and its amusing nightlife. We suggest that you book in advance your cheap hotel in Buenos Aires.
Tickets: various prices
Date: 15th November – 6th December 2008
Location: Campo Argentino de Polo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Tags: Buenos aires, playing polo
