Elephant polo in Nepal:- Nepal has a number of adventure sports to enjoy. Among them, Elephant polo is one of the rare, adventures and only of its type in Nepal.
Nepal’s Elephant Polo is famous everywhere throughout the world and is organized with great spunk and show.
What is elephant polo?
Elephant polo is particularly about the elephants, particularly regarding raising funds for elephant welfare and building worldwide attention to their situation in nations, for example, Thailand, where many have been left redundant(by anti-logging laws) and regularly utilized for ceremonial purposes in urban areas far away from their natural surroundings.
In one way or another, Elephant polo is like the Horse polo yet you can undoubtedly see a bit of distinction. A quick (now and again), energizing game, however with two individuals on the back of every elephant — a mahout that does the driving and the player who is focusing on scoring. Elephant polo in Nepal is conceivably the greatest game on the planet.
The idea behind playing Elephant Polo
Elephant polo started in 1982, the strange thought of two British business visionaries, Jim Edwards and James Manclark.
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The idea of Playing polo with elephants was brought into the world one day supposedly over a drink, or two – over three decades prior when his companion Brit A.V. Jim Edwards (who was among the first to run safaris in Nepal) and an energetic polo player and polo aficionado, James Manclark thought of the idea.
The game between companions has now transformed into a yearly competition, occurring at Tiger Tops, which pulls in polo devotees and players from everywhere throughout the world while offering a mix of game, fun, and charity work.
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The Game today
Today, elephant polo has been enrolled as an Olympic game in Nepal and is globally perceived as an official game, which is additionally played in India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The World Elephant Polo Association goes about as an umbrella association for the championship in Nepal, where eight groups wildly compete for five days in November.
How the game, Elephant polo in Nepal was originated?
Elephant polo originated in Meghauli, Nepal. The HQ of elephant polo is Tiger Tops in Nepal, and also the site of the World Elephant Polo Championships. Edwards had built up Tiger Tops, a travel industry adventure which offered elephant safaris in 1961, and which has since become family-run ecotourism hold up in Royal Chitwan National Park.
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Establishment of WEPA (World Elephant Polo Association)
The World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) was set up in 1982 having it’s headquartered at the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Chitwan, Nepal.
Nepal has facilitated the yearly international elephant polo championships since 1982, attracting players, superstars, experience searchers — and the intermittent amateur — for an opportunity to partake in one of the most unusual games around.
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WEPA has likewise settled the administering rules for the Elephant Polo Tournament. Each December since 1982, Tiger Tops has played host to the World Elephant Polo Championships.
The competition is played on a grass airstrip at the northern edge of Chitwan National Park, with players and visitors remaining at the close by Jungle Lodge.
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Each year, around 16 elephants partake in the World Elephant Polo Championships. Half of the elephants have a place with the Nepal National Parks and half have a place with Tiger Tops. These elephants are prepared and kept up by skilled grooms (mahouts), who regularly will stay with an elephant for a long time.
Tiger Tops is currently allowing the visitors a chance to participate in the game, and with enough practice, possibly one day they might want to participate in the real World Championships.
Groups take part from everywhere throughout the world including Scotland, Thailand, England, and Hong Kong. The local top choices, the Tiger Tops Tuskers, likewise takes apart.
After the days play every one of the players and visitors eats in the Golghar, a conventional roundhouse with an incredible bar. Elephant Polo in Nepal runs between the last weeks of November – the first week of December.
Players for Elephant Polo
Each group comprises of four mounted players, which can be blended groups of both men and women.
Each position assigned to a player has certain duties:
- Number One: It is the most offense-oriented position on the field. The Number One position usually covers the rival group’s Number Four.
- Number Two: It has a significant job in the offense, either running through and scoring themselves, or passing to the Number One and getting in behind them. Protectively, they will cover the rival group’s Number Three, for the most part, the other group’s best player. Given the trouble of this position, it isn’t exceptional for the best player in the group to play Number Two insofar as another solid player is accessible to play Three.
- Number Three is the strategic pioneer and should be a long ground-breaking hitter to bolster balls to Number Two and Number One just as keeping up a strong defense. The best player in the group is normally the Number Three player, for the most part wielding the highest handicap.
- Number Four is the primary defense player. They can move anyplace on the field, however they as a rule attempt to prevent scoring. The accentuation on defense by the Number Four enables the Number Three to endeavor increasingly offensive plays since they realize that they will be covered in the event that they lose the ball.
Polo must be played right-handed to avoid head-on collisions.
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Equipment for Elephant Polo
Ball
It includes a standard polo ball. It is made of high-impact plastic. Initially, when the game was first played, a soccer ball ( a light football ) was utilized.
These balls were utilized to make it simpler to hit the ball with sticks (double the length of pony polo) yet that was immediately changed to ordinary polo balls as the elephants very delighted in popping the footballs! We currently use a standard polo ball, which has made the game increasingly talented, funny, interesting, and quicker.
It must be at least 12.5 inches (32 cm) or in excess of 15 inches (38 cm) in circumference.
The weight must be at least 170 grams (6.0 oz) or in excess of 182 grams (6.4 oz). In a bob test from 9 feet (2.7 m) on concrete at 70 °F (21 °C), the bounce back ought to be at least 54 inches (140 cm) and a limit of 64 inches (160 cm) at the inflation rate determined by the manufacturer. This accommodates a hard and enthusiastic ball.
Polo Mallet
The polo mallet includes a stick (cane) shaft with an elastic wrapped hold, a webbed thong, called a sling, for folding over the thumb, and a wooden stogie formed head.
The pole is made of Manau-stick (not bamboo, which is hollow) although a few mallets today are produced using composite materials. Composite materials are normally not favored by top players in light of the fact that the shaft of composite mallet can’t absorb vibrations just as conventional stick mallet.
The mallet head is commonly produced using a hardwood called Tipa, around 91⁄4″ inches long. The mallet head weighs from 160 g (5.6 oz.) to 240 g (8.5 oz.), contingent upon the player inclination and the sort of wood utilized, and the pole can change in weight and adaptability relying upon the player’s inclination.
The heaviness of the hammerhead is of significant thought for the more prepared players. Female players regularly use lighter hammers than male players. For some polo players, the length of the hammer relies upon the size of the elephant: the taller the elephant, the longer the hammer.
In any case, a few players like to utilize a solitary length of mallet paying little heed to the tallness of the elephant. In any case, playing elephants of varying statures requires some alteration by the rider. Variable lengths of the mallet ordinarily extend from 127 cm (50 in) to 134 cm (53 in).
Organization of the game and how the elephant polo in Nepal is played?
The game, elephant polo in Nepal is fundamentally the same as that of horse polo, yet the pitch is ¾ length (due to the moderate speed of the elephant). During this game, there are four elephants (participating in four distinctive nation) each side prompted by four Mahouts.
The game is played by four players in each group on a marked pitch 140 x 70 meters, utilizing a standard size polo ball and comprises of two brief chukkers of playing time. The interval is of 15 minutes.
It is played on an enormous green zone by two groups riding on an elephant, attempt to score a goal by hitting a little ball with a long wooden sled. Players utilize a legitimate length of the bamboo pound and have a standard polo hammer in the end. The length of the stick relies upon the size of the elephant – somewhere in the range of 5 to 12 feet.
The pitch is set apart with a canter line, a circle with a radius of 15 meters in the canter of the field, and a semi-circle with a span of 30 meters measured from the canter of the goal line at either end of the pitch.
As indicated by the rule, the players should hit the opposite side’s goal line. The whistle blown by the ref stops and starts play.
Two individuals ride every elephant; the elephants are controlled by mahouts, while the player advises the mahout what direction to go and hits the ball. Elephants and ends are changed at half time.
The complete ball must travel over the sideline or backline, to be out, and totally over the goal line to be a goal.
All throw INS or set pieces must be off-side to off-side. The right hand for the two men and ladies players must be the predominant side. All men and women players must play on the right side of the elephant.
Men may just use just their correct hand. In any case, ladies may use two hands to hold the polo stick in the event that they so wish. In the event that ladies decide to play with one hand, not two, at that point it must be their right hand just (and not the left).
Care must be taken when changing sides of play, so as to stay away from injury with the stick to different players, or elephants. At the point when the Umpire/Referee judge hazardous play has been committed, a spot hit will be given to the rival group. Every single defending elephant and players must be 15 meters from the spot.
Groups may bring extra players, holds, to interchange with different individuals from the group, as long as the number, names, and game plans have been concurred ahead of time by WEPA.
Team members playing will be named the night prior to a match. The changes, aside from on account of injury where a substitution is required, must be done at half-time when names will be given to the Referee, time-attendants/analysts.
Rules of the game, elephant polo in Nepal
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Start of the game
The play is started when an Umpire, from outside the middle circle, tosses the ball between two opposing elephants inside the ring. No other elephants may enter the ring until the ball has been hit out by either of the two rival players. To do so is foul.
A spot hit is to be given to the fouled group, from the spot where the ball was the point at which the foul happened. Guarding elephants must be 15 meters from the ball. The umpire will toss in from inverse sides of the middle hover for each back to back toss in.
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Number of elephants in each half of the pitch
A) there must reliably be at any rate one elephant in each half consistently.”
For instance: No team with four elephants may have more than three elephants playing in one half of the pitch at some given time, incorporating at the toss in before the beginning of the game, and the toss in after every goal is scored. To do so establishes a foul.
In like manner, a team containing three elephants may never have more than two elephants playing in one half at some given time. A spot hit will be given against the offending group from where the ball was the point at which the foul happened.
B) Whenever when the game has halted, the umpire can be asked by a team not to re-start the game until their elephants have changed positions.
Be that as it may, if any elephant was in “a wrong half” yet moving back to its right position, adaptability ought to be permitted by the Umpire so as to permit continuity of the game. It need not be halted for little technical detail of the field positions.
C) The size of the field for playing 4 elephants for each side ought to be 100-120m long and 80m wide and for playing 3 elephants for every side, the field size could be 80m x 70m.
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Goal semi-circle / ‘D’
In the D at any one time no more than one elephant from each side allowed.
In the event that the Attacking group has more than one elephant in the goal semi-circle, even a little part of the foot of the subsequent elephant, at that point the Defending group is given a free spot hit from a point on the semi-circle line opposite the center of the goal except if the umpire chooses to play the preferred position rule.
On the off chance that there are two Defending elephants in the goal semi-circle, this likewise establishes a foul. A free hit is given to the Attacking group from the time when the ball was the point at which the foul happened except if the umpire chooses to play the bit of advantage rule.
Elephants from the defending group must be 15 meters from the ball. This may imply that the elephants from the Defending side could be outside the D, and conceivably over the goal line with “an undefended” goal mouth.
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Hit INS
For hit INS, spot hits and penalty hits are from sideline/backlines and on the 20 meters semi-circle to the d.
- All players should be at least 15 meters away from the ball, or off the field of play, which in some circumstances will be less than 15 meters. The umpire has the discretion to instruct the defending elephant to be situated on the pitch (and 15 meters from the where the penalty is taken) if the defending elephant is endangering spectators by being positioned off the field (& 15 meters from the hit),
- At the point when the ball goes out over a sideline, the group that hits it last, regardless of whether it bounces back of an elephant or not, will be considered as the group that hit it out. A hit in from where the ball went out will be granted to the next group.
- Should a player hit the ball and it leaves play, in the wake of striking the stick of an opposition player, the last player that contacted the ball will be viewed as the one to have put the ball out of play–regardless of whether the ball is stationary when the opposite group elephant kicks it out. A spot hit will be granted where the ball left the play.
- Should an Attacking player hit the ball over the backline of the Defense group, regardless of whether it bounces back of any elephant, or not, it will be a hit in for the Defending group from the backline/goal line, from where the ball crossed the backline.
- Should a Defending player hit the ball out over the back-line, regardless of whether it deflected off an elephant, it will be hit for the Attacking group 20 meters out opposite where the ball went too far? Just one Defending and one Attacking elephant is permitted in the “D”.
- Should the Defending player hit the ball and it bounces back off an Attacking player’s stick before going out directly, or off any elephant, on out over the backline, at that point, it is a thump in for the Defending group from the baseline, opposite from where the ball went too far from the line. All elephants of the Attacking group must be 15 meters away from the spot.
- Should the ball, hit by a Defending player, divert off an elephant and crosses the goal line, a goal will be granted to the Attacking group, as a “own goal” of the Defending player.
- Should a Defending player take a spot hit, or an Attacking player a spot hit or punishment, from the 20-meter semi-circle containing the D, at that point, that elephant is considered as the one permitted in the D from his side. No others might be permitted to remain in the D to enhance the player taking the shot. An elephant from the rival side from the one taking the penalty, or spot hit, might be permitted, in the D, 15 meters from the spot.
- Elephant impedance when taking a spot hit or punishment: When a spot hit, thump in from side or backline or a penalty is granted, the player will swing at the ball and if contact is made, regardless of how delicate or in what bearing, the hit will be considered as being made. Be that as it may, if a player misses the ball totally, he may endeavor different swings until contact is made. The rival players may move towards the player hitting in or taking the penalty once the ball is really hit. Should an elephant’s tail, ear, or trunk contact the player or the stick as the swing is taken, that will be considered as a major aspect of by and large play and the player doesn’t get a re-hit should the ball be struck or contacted by any means. Should the tail, ear or trunk, meddle with the stick being swung, the player can stop the completion of the swing and retake it. In any case, the primary criteria is at one time the ball has been contacted, regardless of whether the player is meddled with, or not, by the elephant, it is viewed as a strike.
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Elephants – size – sex and behavior
There will be no confinements with regards to the height, weight, or sex of the elephants.
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Number of elephants and mahouts
a. A team comprises of four elephants. Teams are made up of the pool of elephants and balanced out as decently as conceivable bearing in mind the size and speed of the elephants. When the teams of elephants have been chosen, they will be categorized and marked as A, B, C, D, etc.
When once picked, the elephants can’t be changed starting with one team and then onto the next. On the off chance that it is viewed as that an elephant should be changed, the umpires and ref will, in discussion with Chief Mahouts, choose which elephant(s) are to be substituted from the reserve pool accessible. Any place conceivable they will pick an elephant of comparative measure and speed, as a replacement.
b. The mahout of the elephant’s picked must play the whole game on the elephant initially allotted. The mahout can’t be changed whenever with the exception of damage or conditions acknowledged by the Umpires as well as the Referee.
Note: On extremely rare events, and outside the ability to control of WEPA, elephants might be diminished from four to three for each side. This choice will be at the caution of the Referee, Umpires, and Chief Mahouts.
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Elephant lying down in goalmouth
No elephants may lie down before the goal-mouth. To do so will establish a foul. A free hit will be granted to the opposing side from the 20 meters semi-circle before the goal, with just a single elephant guarding in the d and at least 15 meters from the spot. All other defending elephants must be 15 meters from the spot, yet outside the d.
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Use of elephant trunk
An elephant may not get the ball with its trunk during play. To do so will establish a foul. A free hit will be granted to the opposite team from the spot where the ball was gotten. The defending players will be 15 meters away from the spot.
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Falling off
On the off chance that a player tumbles from an elephant, the play is stopped while the rider remounts. If there should arise an occurrence of injury, where the player can’t proceed, a substitution might be called upon from among the reserves selected, toward the start of the Championship.
Play is initiated with a throw-in by the Umpire between two elephants – one from each group, like the beginning of the game, yet from the spot where the ball was the point at which the player tumbled off. Every single other elephant will be 15 meters from the spot.
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Elephant harness
Ought to there be a failure in the elephant’s harness, the harness must be balanced or changed on the spot where the issue happened. The game stops and restarted with a toss in.
At the discretion of the umpire, in the conference with the mahout, if the player is considered to have committed an error, and there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the harness, the game is restarted with a free hit from the spot or even a penalty was given, to the opposite side with every single other elephant 15 meters from the spot.
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Stick: broken, dropped or solicitation to change stick
a. Should a stick be broken, the game is halted, with the exception of on the off chance that it happens in the D, when the game isn’t halted. An individual assigned by the group may run on to the field to supplant the stick.
The game is re-begun by the Umpire with a throw in the middle of two opposite team elephants. Every single other elephant must be 15 meters from the spot.
At the discretion of the Umpire, a foul might be granted against the group where a player breaks the stick more than once in a chukka. Players at some point use “slashing” or hitting the ground hard before a rival player so as to scare the player and in the process can break a stick.
This the Umpire, or referee, will pass judgment. On the off chance that a foul is given, all elephants must be 15 meters from the spot.
b. Dropped Stick: Should a stick be dropped, the game isn’t halted. It must be grabbed promptly by the elephant/mahout of the specific player and gave back as fast as could be allowed. Should a player of a dropped stick encroach the movement of the game, a free hit might be given, at the Umpire’s prudence, to the rival side.
c. Solicitation to change a solid stick: The game isn’t halted if a player wishes to change a stick. Should a player wish to change his/her stick, he/she should wait for a stop in play will do as such.
d. Broken Stick in the D: The game isn’t halted should a stick be broken in the D, however, should proceed. Nonetheless, an individual assigned by the group may approach the D-line or the goal line (came in from the other side the objective) and attempt to change sticks with the one that has been broken. On no event should the individual attempting to change the stick run into the D. To do so will bring about a foul and a penalty hit, for the opposite group, from the spot where the ball was the point at which the foul happened.
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Headgear
Elephant drivers and players must wear a cap as the conventional performance or some other polo cap during play. Should a player’s or elephant driver’s cap tumble off, the game isn’t halted however the cap must be recuperated right away.
Players and elephant drivers must not proceed with play without a cap being worn. At the tact of the umpire, a free hit will be given against the player encroaching the rule.
Note: As with sticks, caps can without much of a stretch be gotten by the elephant/elephant driver. Dropping of caps or sticks must not be utilized to encroach the progression of the game.
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Pick-me-ups
Sugar cane or potentially rice balls stuffed with nutrients (molasses and shake salt) and water, as required, will be given to the elephants toward the finish of each match; and of the finish of the morning games soft drinks for the elephant drivers.
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Personal fouls
The following activities comprise as a foul.
- Hooking the adversary’s stick.
- Purposely crossing before an elephant when the rival is moving with the ball. Elephants may ride each other off or might be purposely put between elephants, without the ball, so as to hinder their advancement in getting this show on getting to the ball yet intentional crossing before the elephant with the ball comprises a foul.
- Standing “on” the ball, backing, or going ahead over a ball to stop a player arriving at the ball.
- Intentionally hitting another player or Umpire with a stick.
- Standing “on” the ball, backing, or going ahead over a ball to stop a player arriving at the ball.
- Purposefully hitting another player or Umpire with a stick.
- Risky play. To various players or elephants, “Roundhouse” swings contemplated a risk. If there are similar players, or elephants, of either side, at the risk of being hit “Roundhouse” swings are allowed. The meaning of “excessively close” is at the prudence of the Umpire.
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Ankush – forbidden
The utilization of the Ankush or any pointed/sharp (counting stick) is illegal during all games.
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Penalties
At the point when a player from a team does a foul, from a, b or c, of “Individual Fouls”, the rival group is permitted a free hit, from where the foul happened. Elephants from the group that fouled must be 15 meters from the spot.
The punishment for disrupting Norm 14d, and 14e, will be at the prudence of the Umpire. The Umpire may grant a spot hit against the culpable group, from the spot where the ball was the point at which the foul was submitted, or if genuine enough, particularly following rehashed alerts, may grant a penalty from the 20-meter semi-circle with one opposition player guarding the goal. Every other elephant must be 15 meters from the penalty spot.
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Umpires, referees, goal judges and time-keeper
a. There will a Senior Umpire together with an associate Umpire mounted on the Umpire’s elephant. An official Referee might be on the Umpire’s Elephant or be situated anyplace reasonable to watch play.
The Referee and Umpires must follow the play as intently as conceivable without hindering it. The Senior Umpire may counsel with the Referee ought to there be any genuine uncertainty as to encroachments and which penalties to be granted, or concerning any official dissent from a group captain.
b. There will be a judge at either goal.
c. There will be at any rate two time Keepers on one side of the pitch at the midline.
d. At the point when the ball is taken far out of bounds, time is halted, at a sign from the Umpire utilizing a whistle and banner. When the ball is thumped in once more, the clock restarts.
e. Time is additionally halted when a free hit or a penalty is called by the Umpire. Again by using a flag and a whistle, the game and clock are re-begun, after the free hit, or penalty has been taken.
f. At the ten-minute whistle and flag when the time-keepers will ring the bell both chukkers will end. However, if the ball is in the D toward the finish of the 10 minutes of every chukker, the game will not be halted until the ball has gone out of the D, regardless of whether over the D line itself, backline or a goal scored. The bell is rung when 10 minutes have slipped by on the clock, the umpire at that point controls continuation of play when the ball is in the D, not the timekeepers.
g. On the off chance that the ball is “buried” in the field, and difficult to hit out neatly, the game (and clock) will be halted by the Umpire, and a toss in the middle of two rival players will begin the game (and the clock). Every single other elephant must be 15 meters from the spot.
h. Optional mandate for tournament organizers:
It concurred that the coordinators of every competition ought to reserve the privilege to settle on choices because of local elephant conditions for wellbeing and security purposes.
i. The Advantage Rule – The Umpire’s caution will be applied to permit the bit of advantage rule. When the choice is made then the game proceeds, with no spot hit granted reflectively, and the umpire must communicate loudly to the players that he is playing the advantage rule
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Rules of the leagues
The 2 points are given in Win, 1 point in a draw, and 0 points in the loss.
a. Ought to there be a draw in any of the two Leagues to choose first and second semifinalists there will be a penalty shot – shoot out away from the focal point of the 20 meters D with no elephant protecting the goal.
Should despite everything it be a draw after each of the four players from each group has made their hit, then a “sudden death” penalty shoot-out will pursue. Each group will have a similar number of shots. The group that first scores a goal, with the opposite team player failing to do so will be the victor.
b. Ought to there be a draw for a second and third spot than two five minute chukkers will be played between the groups to choose who is second and third. Ought to there be a draw toward the finish of the two five minutes chukkers then a penalty shoot-out between those groups will likewise be directed similarly as with rules illuminated in 18a.
c. Ought to there be a draw for third and fourth spot then it is to be settled on by a penalty shoot-out, according to the rule said in 18a.
d. Should different groups draw in any league then penalty shoot-outs will be taken between each group, according to rule 18a.
e. The penalties shall be taken from the center of the 20 meters semi-circle. The ball may just be hit once. According to rule 4 h, impedance by elephants won’t be considered. Should the player miss the ball totally different swings may be taken until there is contact.
A goal is granted whether the ball goes directly in or diverts off an elephant or post, over or across the line. When chosen the initial two groups from each League there will be a playoff for the WEPA Championship. The rest of the group’s playoff for the Amateur League Trophy.
f. Punishments request of play: Each group will introduce its request for play (i.e. which assigned player shoots first, second, third, and fourth). This request must be clung to until such time as the shoot-out moves into sudden death mode after the first arrangement of 4 penalties have been taken. At this stage, the request can be changed as long as every one of the 4 players in each group keep on taking successive shots.
g. On the off chance that 3 groups are tied toward the finish of the league qualifying stage, at that point, a penalty shoot-out will be held and the top group will experience as the main group in that alliance.
The second set group in the shoot-out will experience as the second spot group, and the third set group will play in the Olympic Quaich. There won’t be another penalty shoot-out held between the top 2 groups in order to decide the first and second spots in the league.
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W.E.P.A. Finals
The top two groups from each league go to W.E.P.A. Title Finals.
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Extra time and penalty shoot-outs in the finals and semi-finals
a. On the off chance that the score is a draw toward the finish of the two chukkers, the game will be first decided by “sudden death” with an additional time of 5 minutes of playing time. Ends will be changed, yet not elephants. The first group to score a goal success in the match.
b. Ought to there still be a draw toward the finish of the 5 minutes additional time, at that point the game will be chosen by a penalty shoot-out. Every individual from the group will take a penalty shot, thusly, from the 20 meters spot on the D opposite the goal as mentioned in rule 18a.
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The WEPA Olympic Amateur Quaich trophy
The groups that meet all requirements to play for the WEPA Olympic Amateur Quaich Trophy will be those that don’t arrive at the semi-finals of the two alliances.
The WEPA Olympic Amateur Quaich Trophy was established in 1999 by Chivas Regal so as to give groups that were considered of a “Beginner” status an opportunity to win a significant trophy, should the WEPA Championships be distant.
The guidelines of play for the Quaich are with respect to WEPA.
The WEPA Committee members present will hence choose which groups that have qualified for the Quaich Tournament contain players who are viewed as “experts” with experience as elephant as well as horse polo players.
The expert players in each group could be heavily handicapped and even dropped from the group, depending upon the make-up and parity of those that meet all requirements for the Quaich. The choice of the Committee will be conclusive.
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Injury or sickness
On account of injury, infection, or uncontrollable issues during a chukker/game a substitute(s) is permitted. The substitute(s) must be of a comparable standard, or less, than the harmed, or individual being supplanted.
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Handicapping
The handicapping advisory group will meet toward the start of every title to choose each group’s impediment remembering the experience of every player (as a horse or elephant polo player), and the general make-up of the group. Their choice will be conclusive.
Difference between Elephant Polo and Horse Polo
Elephant Polo is somehow like Horse Polo. The significant distinction among horse polo and elephant polo other than the substitution of an elephant for a horse is that the elephants are driven by their coach called ‘mahouts’.
The mahouts are the caretakers of the elephants who have for the most part worked with the elephants for quite a long while and the elephants react rapidly to mahouts’ sign. There are two particular ways that mahout makes communication with the elephant.
The first one is with the verbal directions and the second – by applying pressure to the back of the elephant’s ears with the feet. It is the players’ duty to tell mahout where to go, when to stop, in which heading, etc.
The rules of the game are also pretty much very similar to that of horse polo, however, the pitch is ¾ length than that of the Horse Polo (because of the slow speed of the elephant).
How the elephant used for tournament is taken care of?
The organizers keep the elephant’s wellbeing and security in mind at all times.
During elephant polo, there are strict principles, regulations against harsh treatment by the drivers. The games end around early afternoon so the elephants won’t get excessively blistering. No elephant is permitted to play two back to back games.
They have snacks and water at half-time and afterward have an hour to rest. They have additionally remunerated with sugar stick or rice balls loaded with molasses and shake salt after each match.
Every elephant plays just two games per day. Elephants may not play in excess of two 20-minute games a day. In the event that an elephant is injured or can’t play for reasons unknown, the game is played with just three elephants to a side, instead of putting additional weight or pressure on the other elephants.
When not playing polo, the Tiger Tops elephants take visitors out on wildlife safaris two times every day. The safaris are restricted in time so as not to tire the elephants. During the day the elephants are taken out to the fields so their mahouts can cut grass for their dinners.
They eat a diet like that of wild elephants – basically grass – yet they likewise get supplements with nutrients and great supplements. They are washed in the stream day by day. The mahouts love them beyond all doubt and perceive how exceptional they are. They are treated with the utmost love and care.
The bond among elephant and mahout who takes care of them grows throughout the years, which can be found in the consideration showered on the animals during the day by day schedule of feeding and cleaning.
Before the game beginnings, the mahouts paint their elephants with hued chalks for adornment. Even the best-dressed mahouts and best-decorated elephants are awarded.
A Majestic Sight
Despite the fact that the moderate moving nature of the game may appear to be a bit of an advantage from the outset, it is elephant polo’s greatest challenge. Since elephants are somewhat clumsy, the precision when hitting the ball in this game is fairly troublesome and precarious.
Although played on the backs of substantial loads mounts, elephant polo can on occasion show up as exquisite as the quick artful dance. Due to the more slow speed of the elephants, the pitch size has been diminished from a unique horse polo pitch to around 100 meters by 70.
The welfare of the Animals
In the midst of a great deal of uproar from an organization like PETA and other animal welfare bodies, the game has been said to impose for the animal. This is the reason tiger Tops, the coordinator of the yearly International Elephant Polo Competition has declared that it would quit facilitating the occasion to help the development against animal cruelty.
Criticism
The match cancellation is due to Charges of merciless treatment of polo elephants, made by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, sponsorship withdrawal, and further in the Guinness Book of World Records, there is the expulsion of references to elephant polo records.
Conclusion
Elephant polo in Nepal is also referred to as the greatest game on the planet. Elephant Polo is a game that has consistently punched over its weight. So in the event that you are searching for adventure or just interest, visit Chitwan. You will simply be one among the group of travelers that are attracted to this game, elephant polo in Nepal.
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