The just-concluded polo season at the Nairobi Polo Club can be described using three words: fashion, fun, and food.
The January season culminated in the Chairman's Cup on Sunday, which featured six teams —Tanqueray, Radio Africa, Samurai, Tusker Malt, Ultimate Security, Jacaranda, and 24:7.
Off the pitch, it was a carnival mood as the who-is-who in the society congregated to spectate and cheer on their favourite players as well as to catch up with each other over drinks and music.
On the pitch, it was a feast of goals as players and their ponies (horses) braved the scorching sun in an effort to end the season on a high.
Tanqueray, skippered by veteran Philip Arunga, walked home with the trophy despite a 5-5 deadlock with Samurai. Both teams opted against going to penalties and instead settled on consensus to determine the winner.
Furthermore, the season-ender was an opportunity for beginners in the sport to build momentum ahead of the new season, which begins in May this year at Manyatta Polo Club in Gilgil.
One of them is Bobby Kamani who was wrapping up his first season as a polo player.
Kamani was part of 24:7 — others including Moses Wainaga, Josephine Gauld, and Archie Stichbury — who were playing in the subsidiary division of the two-day tournament.
The 42-year-old Kamani wonders why it took him so long to take up polo considering he has been riding horses for virtually his whole life.
"I wish I started earlier. I would want to tell my children to give it a shot, especially in the younger years if it is something they would be interested in," Kamani says.
Regardless, the past month has been a learning experience for him, and has been taking notes from the veterans of the sport in the country.
"The first thing is that persistence pays. Do not lose hope when things are not working out. It is never too late to make a comeback. On Saturday, we lost by a goal (4-3 to Jacaranda) and then today we drew 6-6. Also, try to learn as much as possible from the experienced players. There is so much they can show you practically than through theory," he explains.
Kamani adds: "There are so many mentors I have...Fred Kambo, Raphael Nzomo, Philip Arunga and all the other stalwarts of the sport. Even playing a game with them improves you so much because they are patient and professional. They are also passionate and want to see the sport grow so much in Kenya."
Learning curve
Likewise, it has been a season of blessings for Jacaranda's Kelvin Jumba who says his game has improved so much in his two years as a polo player.
The -2-handicapped player suffered a setback last year when he fell off his horse and shattered his wrist but has gotten back on the saddle impressively.
"It has been a good run for the whole month...a learning curve for me. I have had the opportunity to play with the senior players and they really sharpen you. They put you in shape in terms of preparing yourself. For me, it has been a strong season and I am looking forward to building on it for the next season," Jumba says.
He concedes it has not been a walk in the park for him on the polo pitch but nonetheless embraces the physical anguish involved in playing the sport and growing his craft.
"In terms of those I look up to, there are a number of senior players at the club (Nairobi Polo Club). One lesson I have learned when playing with them is resilience. They really move at a serious speed so you have to keep up with them. If you are left behind, then you become a liability. You have to push yourself to their level and this means getting the hang of flat galloping and coordinating with hitting the ball," he explains.
Just like other sporting disciplines, polo was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and part of last year, when all activities were halted by the government to control the spread of the virus.
However, Jumba believes this was a blessing in disguise for many players, especially beginners, who now had more time to polish up their skills in training.
"Due to the virus, there was not much play last season compared to this one. It seems many players used the chance to work on their play in training and as you can see, there have been a lot of improvements. From the first tournament in January to this one (Chairman's Cup), you can see that people have been really working hard in training," he observes.
A for outstanding
Jumba's sentiments resonate with those of Nairobi Polo Club chair Nzomo who says beginners were the highlight of the Chairman's Cup.
Nzomo was the skipper of Samurai, a team composed of upstarts, including his daughter, Hiromi, Eva Kamau, and Izzy Stichbury.
From the 'horse's mouth', the overall performance of the newbies was a pleasant surprise and a cause for optimism ahead of the new season in May.
"January tournaments are for beginners to garner some experience. Every team has one or two beginners. For five goals to be scored (Samurai vs Tanqueray), it shows that they have played really well. It was very surprising for me," Nzomo says.
He adds: "These January tournaments have provided more entertainment than the regular season when the big guns come in. On my team, I had three girls. They were very exciting. For example, you saw the way Eva (Kamau) was hardworking. In fact, at one point, she hit a very good ball, which saved a goal so I am very proud of them."
Nzomo is also observant enough to give props to a member of a rival team — Radio Africa's Archie Camm.
"What a kid! He is only 12-years-old and is going to be one of the best polo players in this country. If you see him playing...there was a bit of debate about bringing him to the game at that age. He knows all the rules, does not foul, rides hard, and hits the ball well," he says.
Nzomo adds: "We had around eight beginner players in the subsidiary division and overall, around 20-30 beginners, which I feel is really good for the sport."
His vice-chair, Fred Kambo, similarly believes the progression of beginners is one of the reasons the season has panned out better compared to previous ones.
"This season has been much better than the last one during which we were in the deep of the pandemic. We managed to play all the tournaments we had planned and we also saw a few players adjust their handicap upwards," Kambo recounts.
That more people are coming to spectate, albeit some are yet to fully grasp the ins and outs of the sport, is another reason to smile for polo administrators in the country, such as the Kenya Polo Association.
Looking forward
As the countdown to the season opener in May in Gilgil begins, stakeholders plan to immediately get down to laying the groundwork for what they hope will be bigger and better.
The ponies will undergo vaccination as they get some much-needed rest whereas the players will be implementing the lessons acquired in January.
Top of the to-do list when the Kenya Polo Association season resumes is a tour by the Zambia ladies team who will face their Kenyan counterparts in Gilgil in June.
Kambo's desire is to see more people take up the sport and for beginners to work hard to improve their handicaps.
"It would be great to see more players coming in and more club chukkas (games) held as we head to May. My message to beginners is to keep practicing. The level of competition has been really good. Most players are playing a lot better than what their handicap indicates on paper," he says.
This is music to the ears of Kamani and Jumba who know exactly what to do in the off-season.
"I want to improve on my handicap as well as my riding and saddling. In the last four tournaments in which I have competed, I have scored a good number of goals. From my own assessment, I believe I am really good at ball-to-hand coordination and so the only thing I need to work on is riding," Jumba, who has been horse riding for five years, says.
In contrast, Kamani will be focusing on ball work. "Polo is 80 percent riding and 20 percent ball work. I am a born horseman. I think I had the advantage of being a horse rider so what I need to concentrate on is the ball work," he says.
Hopefully, these dreams and aspirations will materialise so that more admirers of polo will be encouraged to embrace the sport and provide more entertainment to the fans.