When home is where the polo ground is...

A few kilometres into the Polo andRiding Club reveals a picture dotted with tents. This world within a worldwelcomes visitors with the neigh of horses and music blaring from thetransistors of the grooms who look after a line-up of stallions and mares.And then, there are the the residents of these tents —Shamsheer Ali,Basheer Ali, Manavendra Singh, Himmat Singh Bedla, Bhupendra Singh and YogeshwarSingh. All names to reckon with on the polo field.‘‘We loveliving like this. Living in hotels or houses involves travelling long distancesto reach the polo ground. Here, when we get up, the first thing we see are ourhorses,’’ explains Himmat.This love for horses is coupled witha sense of adventure which these polo players enjoy while camping for the entirepolo season each year. ‘‘It’s a life full offun,’’ offers Manavendra Singh, who belongs to Jodhpur,‘‘Most of us have brought our own horses and grooms from our nativeplaces. We live as one big family.’’For Bhupendra Singh, thisrather unusual camp is a first-time experience. ‘‘So far, it hasbeen a great experience. There are 17 of us in all and we have a party everyother day!’’ Each tent comes with a single bed, quilts and a lot ofpolo gear. The more luxurious tents, such as the one in which brothers Shamsheerand Basheer Ali stay, boast of a TV set, stereo system and refrigerator. Butwhat really makes this camp a home away from home for these polo players is theluxury of living with their wives, children and domestichelp.‘‘The idea of living like this was started by our seniorsLokendra Singh and KV Singh,’’ says Yogeshwar Singh,‘‘In any case, it is difficult to get sponsorship for an entireseason’s stay at a hotel.’’But more than anything else,it is a love for polo which bands these polo players together. As Himmat putsit, ‘‘Even if it means facing the rain and chilling cold, none of usmind it. One can escape an addiction to drugs, but not to polo.’’And certainly not when a passion called polo is infused with a sportingspirit.