THE ARABIAN TWIST: CAMEL POLO

Camel Polo was considered one of the strangest sports in Dubai in 2019 by Darragh Murphy of TimeOut, but why? This is because polo is a challenging sport with a horse, and if you try to hit the ball while riding on a camel, it’s near to impossible to hit the ball because the camel is a brutal, large animal. This makes camel polo unique. 

The Past

Coach Steve Thompson invented Camel Polo after being inspired by Elephant Polo, another variant of polo and a novelty sport played in Thailand. According to an article by National News, the first match of Camel Polo was played at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and was played by eight riders, who were recruited and had to learn how to play the game. Camel Polo Dubai, played in the first iteration, is still the most well-known.  Camel Polo Dubai certainly made a mark. Camel Polo was harder to understand since the learning process was challenging, and it took a lot of time to train the camels. In the Middle East, Camel Polo can accommodate groups between 8 and 60 and is usually played as a novelty sport in the winter, from September to May

EASTERN SOJOURNS

Bharatdeep Singh Bedi, Managing Director of Eastern SoJourn, explained that Camel Polo in Rajasthan is usually played as fun and not as a competitive sport. Compared to horses, indigenous camels of Rajasthan are harder to train and require focus. Camel Polo is organized with eight camels, four camels on each side, and players may focus only on hitting the ball.                 

THE FUTURE
Camels are often seen as giant animals, but patience is needed to understand them. The ship of the desert can convert a serious polo game into a funny and exciting match. Tourism agencies organize most Camel Polo games. Polo watcher Adrian Sime reported in National News that camels sometimes tend to walk off, sit down or not do anything in the middle of the game, making their behavior unpredictable.

Camel Polo is a new and entertaining sport, making everyone a beginner. Some clubs provide training to players to ensure that they are prepared. The game is unique and does not have any traditions to refer to.     

Camel Polo has become popular with celebrities and tourists enjoying the matches and posting their experiences and proud moments on Instagram with #camelpolo. If you want to play a friendly and enjoyable game, play Camel Polo.  Camel PoloShirts and Camel Polo T-shirts are also popular among spectators who like putting them on for the team they support. For Camel Polo obsessives, you could also find custom-made Camel Polo logo T-shirts. Camel polo neck jumpers and camel polo coats are also a good choice.