This fact can not be denied that the British had a very important role in the development of certain organised sports which still exist in our country as a part of our society. Be it cricket, be it badminton or be it quite a few different other sporting genres that eventually found acceptance among the population. When it comes to the history of sports in India, it must be stated that the initial victories of Indian teams over their European or British counterparts have often been remembered and cherished. Be it India's first Test Match win, the first Olympic Gold medal in Field Hockey or be it the legendary Soccer victory over the East Yorkshire Regiment in 1911 by Mohun Bagan Athletic Club to lift the IFA Shield, such incidents have become immortalised in the memories of many Indians. There have been stories and motion pictures with quite a few movies having been made on Mohun Bagan's 1911 victory alone. Having said that, there arises one question. That being which was the first-ever Indian sporting team to have beaten a British or European team in a given sport? The answer is in all probability a Manipuri Polo Team.
Origin of Polo
Polo has often been called the "Sport of Kings" and during much of the nineteenth century, the sport received massive patronage from all corners. From sport-loving British soldiers, officers and administrators to quite a few Indian princes, nobles and upper-class aristocrats. The origin of the sport is often debated with some claiming its origin among the nomadic tribes of Iran and Central Asia while others believe modern polo descended from the Manipuri game of 'Sagol Kangjei' or 'Pulu' which post being picked up by British officers had spread to other countries around the world.
The Great Face-off
The Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) had toured India in 1875-1876 and during this journey, he had extensively travelled across the land. This famous journey was well documented in the book "The Prince of Wales Tour: A Diary in India; With Some Account Of The Visit Of His Royal Highness To The Court of Greece, Egypt, Spain And Portugal" written by William Howard Russel. During this trip while the various princes and maharajas paid their tributes, there were also some serious events and exhibitions planned in honour of the Prince of Wales and one of them was a polo match played between a British polo team comprising five British champion polo players and a Manipuri polo team consisting of an equal number of men. The date was the 3rd of January, 1876 and the incident is mentioned on page number 377 of the above-mentioned book. What makes this match historic is the fact that in front of the future King-Emperor and his equerry Major General Dighton Probyn, the Manipuri team ended up scoring five goals against the British team. The author mentions that the humiliation was such that quite a few in the audience were offended by the result as according to them it was not fair that a team comprising of Englishmen should be beaten at any sport by a native team. The only solace for them as the book mentions was the thought that Polo was the national sport for Manipur.
Inspiration for ages
The author did not mention any detail about the competing polo players but in all probability, the British team had some if not all players from the 18th Bengal Cavalry, who also had exhibited their capabilities in tent-pegging and swordsmanship. Sadly the names of the victorious Manipuri players were also not recorded but there exists in the book a sketch of a polo player from that day which was illustrated by the respected painter and artist Sydney P. Hall. There also exists a separate Bourne & Shepherd photograph of a Manipuri Polo Team from 1875 which could be of that historic team as their arrival in Calcutta might have been in the last days of 1875 considering the fact that the match was scheduled for the 3rd of January, 1876. Whatever be the case, the truth remains that on that January day what the Manipur Polo team went on to achieve in the field of sport was such a big feat that it could not be replicated again for a very long time.
