The Oak Brook Polo Club and the Village of Oakbrook welcomed the Delhi Polo Club India to play for The USPA Drake Challenge in Oakbrook Aug. 7.
The opening ceremonies kicked off at 3:00 P.M. with national anthems of India and the U.S. , a parade procession with guests Oakbrook Mayor Gopal Lalmalani, Mayor of Burr Ridge, Mickey Straub and the Consul General of India in Chicago Ausaf Sayeed. The opening ball was thrown by Lalmalani. Captain Vikram Singh Sodhi, managing trustee of the Anandpur Sahib Heritage Foundation and owner of the Delhi Polo and Riding Club, led the India team joined by teammates Amit Sangwan, Deepak Udar, and Arjun awardee Samir Suhag who was especially invited to play with the team for this tournament.
The Delhi club that held the lead for the first 2 chukkers, was, however, outscored by 5-7 by the Oakbrook Club that was able to quickly recover their lead in the 2nd half of play.
Udar, who took a tough fall during the 3rd chukker, won the man-of-the-match award for his bravery and tough play. Despite loss, the enthusiasm and camaraderie from the players of both teams was evident throughout.
Polo, which originated in Manipur, has now become one of the world’s most affluent sports and seems to have seen resurgence in recent years. “We are seeing the interest increase quite a bit, back home and in other countries,” Capt. Sodhi said. “We will travel to O’ahu, Hawaii, next where we expect 4,000 people to watch the match. This is a part of our history and we need to embrace this and learn about our heritage,” he said.
“After all, they call it chukker” the term referred to timed periods of play in Polo, “ which comes from the Indian word “Chakar”, meaning the time to go around.
“We want the entire Chicagoland Indian community to support us and celebrate the rich culture and history of Polo with us next year. I want to see the Indian flags all cross the grounds.”
Suhag also talked about the accessibility and future of the sport to youth. “There are clubs in India now where they subsidized riding in Polo. It comes out between Rs. 200- 300 and costs less than even golf lessons. We hope that this will generate interest and create greater accessibility. There are a lot of youngsters whom I coach back home. It’s a tougher game than what most people think. You not only have to manage yourself but also the horse. There is a lot of skill involved, and then of course strategy. Being fit is very important”, he said.
Lalmalani, who led the collaboration between the 2 clubs, thanked captain James Drury, the Nagle family who sponsored the event, the Village Oakbrook Polo club and many supporters dignitaries for their participation.
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