When you think of the various sports that you come across over tea, while scrolling through social media or in casual discussions with friends, polo rarely comes up among them. Often considered a niche sport and game for aristocrats, polo is widely perceived as inaccessible to the common man. Nevertheless, it remains a sport with tradition and a rich history.
The game is believed to have originated in Persia nearly 2,000 years ago and gradually made its way to the Western world via India. The country has a long history of kings and nobility including equestrian sports that were part of the Olympic Games from 1900 to 1936. In India, it all started with the Calcutta Polo Club in 1862, while Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II later founded the Jaipur team in the early 20th century. This legacy continues today under Padmanabh Singh, the current Maharaja who captains the Jaipur team – one of the strongest polo sides in India.
While Padmanabh leads the team, Jaipur also boasts of one of the best players in the world — Lance Watson. When India Today caught up with the four-goal professional player, he seemed calm and enthusiastic about the sport. But don’t let that demeanor fool you – on the pitch, Watson is known for his intensity and keen eye for goal.
When Watson is on horseback with a wand in hand, he transforms into one of the best polo players in the world.
Love of polo
The game literally runs in Watson’s blood. Hailing from a small town in KwaZulu-Natal, the South African is a third-generation polo player and draws inspiration from his grandfather. While South Africa is known for its love of cricket and rugby, Watson says polo has been his calling since he was young.
“Honestly, I’ve always wanted to play polo from a very young age. I did my first coaching clinic and tournament when I was 8 years old. And as far back as I can remember, all I wanted to do was play polo. So I didn’t have to make too many decisions about it. I enjoyed school sports, which were rugby and cricket, and I always played pretty safe polo.”
Watson’s voice lights up with joy when asked about his journey. He describes it as a place full of learning, travel and cultural discovery.
“It was amazing. Coming from a small town in South Africa, then traveling around South Africa playing polo and having a job there, learning and discovering my own country and then traveling overseas to play a bit abroad. It was amazing to see what polo is like in different countries, meeting new people and different cultures and seeing different techniques and styles that people have adapted to. You learn so many new things from them and lots of things.” Watson. Watson always wanted to play polo since his childhood (Courtesy: Jaipur polo team)
As for polo being labeled a niche or elite sport, Watson disagrees. He believes the main cost lies in maintaining the horses, while the rest depends on finding the right training and passion for the game.
“People call it a rich man’s sport, but that’s not necessarily true. If you want to play in the top league, then yes, it’s going to cost money. But if you want to get into the sport just because you love horses and you’re interested in polo, it’s available. You don’t have to have the best of everything to play.”
“The biggest expense is the horses — they’re 90% of the game. You need one horse to get started, join a club, find a trainer and start learning. It’s a long journey, but the more you learn, the more you enjoy it,” Watson said.
This passion for the sport led him and his brother Brett to found Absolute Polo, an academy dedicated to discovering and nurturing young talent.
“Absolute Polo is a business my brother and I started in 2012. We set it up in South Africa – we coach and also play professionally to generate income. It’s now a well-established facility with pitches, stables and horse grounds – a complete polo coaching academy,” said Watson.
Indian attraction
Having played across countries such as Argentina, England, New Zealand, Malaysia, Dubai, China, Kenya and Zambia, Watson finds a unique charm in Indian polo – especially how the sport has evolved here.
He believes that the game has become far more professional in India and the arrival of the Argentine horses has greatly raised the level of the game.
“Indian polo has become a lot more professional in the last few years. I first came to India in 2020 and it has come a long way since then. It is professional and the people who play and invest in the sport have spent a lot to develop it.”
“That’s a big thing because it’s opened the door for horses to be brought in from Argentina – top-level polo horses – which raises the level of the game. A lot of patrons have also resurfaced their polo fields, improving the playing conditions. That’s one of the big attractions for me,” Watson said.
Talking about his association with the Jaipur team, Watson recalled being overwhelmed when he first got the call to join. He has now become one of the key figures in the team alongside Padmanabh Singh.
“It’s been fantastic. From the day I got the call to join, I was in disbelief for a while. When I realized it was happening, I was super excited. We’ve been slowly building our organization since we joined,” Watson said.
One change Watson hopes is to expand polo beyond its current centers in Jodhpur, Delhi and Jaipur.
“From what I understand, polo in India was played in many cities – Calcutta, Mumbai, Jodhpur, Delhi, Jaipur. All these clubs were well established. But with the economy tightening and travel becoming more difficult, polo is now being centralized in three places – Jodhpur, Delhi and Jaipur.
“It’s reduced the number of people playing the sport. The community is smaller. I’d like to see all the different towns and clubs supporting each other more,” Watson said.
The South African ace also revealed that his academy could one day set up operations in India.
“There’s a lot of young talent here that loves horses and just needs guidance and direction. If we could join a club and set up a base there, that’s definitely something to consider. It would take planning because there are horses and people involved, but it’s possible,” Watson said.
A family man’s Olympic dream
Despite his success and recognition, Watson remains humble and credits his family for keeping him grounded. As a father of two, he says their support has been essential to his success.
“It’s very meaningful when your family tells you they’re proud of you. As important as polo is to me, I would never have made it this far without their support – my mother, father, brother and my children. They inspire me. I owe them a big thank you and I hope that gratitude keeps me grounded,” Watson said.
Like any proud father, he beams when talking about his children’s growing interest in the sport.
“My children have been very interested in horses from the beginning, which is important. My son played his first tournament this year — he’s 8 years old — and he really enjoyed it. My daughter is still young, but she also loves horses and polo.”
“They’re excited about me and my accomplishments, which is really nice. My son would be a fourth-generation Watson polo player. It would be very nice if he pursued it as a career, but I’d like them to have options. If they want to play polo, great. If they’re passionate about something else, I’ll support that, too,” Watson said.
Watson expressed his dream of polo returning to the Olympic stage – if not through him, then through his children.
“It would be really, really great if polo could be considered an Olympic sport. It would be fantastic for polo – it would make it a global competition and give the sport the more exposure it needs.”
“There’s still a stigma that it’s not available, but once people see it and follow it, they start to like it. More exposure would help the sport a lot. I’d really like to see polo reintroduced into the Olympics. That would be amazing – and if I get the chance to play, fantastic. If not, maybe my son or daughter one day,” Watson said.
– The end
Published on:
October 22, 2025
