The Manipuri Pony finally gets its due

The sport of polo has its origins in the ancient Manipuri game 'Sagol Kangjei'. Ibudhou Marjing, who invented and established the game, is considered a demi-god in the State and is worshipped by the people there.

New Delhi, Jan 7: Riding a horse is a childhood fascination of every child. Children at home use to ride the back of their elders, just to quench that thirst. However, Manipuris not only mastered the art of horse riding, they even created a game out of it, Sagol Kangjei, which later became famous by the name "polo" and captured the fancy of the royals and the rich.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a 122-feet tall statue of a polo player on Heingang hill top in Manipuri capital of Imphal in the presence of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. The huge symbolic statue of the Sagol Kangjei player has been erected at the shrine of Ibudhou Marjing, considered as a demi-god who invented and established the game. The shrine is situated in East Imphal on the highlands named after Marjing. The construction of the statue started in 2018 and completed last year.

The tradition of playing Sagol Kangjei goes back to 3100 BC in ancient Manipur. This game is the old form of modern-day sport polo. This fact is supported by the Guinness Book of World Records by a declaration in 1991. It clearly states that the origination of polo can be traced to the State of Manipur of India in 3100 BC. It was played as the game named as "Sagol Kangjei", as is mentioned on page number 706 the declaration. It was revived by King Ningthou Kangba in around 1400 BC. Originally, there used to be seven players on each side.

The Marjing statue will not only glorify Manipur at world stage as the homeland of polo and bring it on the polo map but also attract tourists and help create jobs for the locals as a result. This will project the soft power of the country through the medium of sports. This will inspire the youngsters to play the game with the sportsman spirit and keep the tradition alive for the coming generations.

In November last year, CM Biren Singh kicked off the Sagol Kangjei festival and polo tournament. With the slogan of "Save Manipuri Pony, Save the Grassland and Save the Sagol Kangjei" the occasion was celebrated by the All-Manipur Polo Association as Sangai festival.

Shah took to Twitter to inform about the inauguration of the Marjing Polo statue. "It is believed that Sagol Kangjei, the modern-day Polo game originated in Manipur. Today, inaugurated a 122 feet Marjing polo statue at the Marjing Polo Complex in Imphal. This will surely take the legacy forward and inspire more youngsters toward the game," he tweeted.