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For sport, fun and charity: Elephant polo

The world elephant polo championship 2015 took place in Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

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The World Elephant Polo Championship is the event of the year for the villagers in southern Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park. The five-day tournament is an important source of income for many families as it attracts thousands of spectators. [Silvia Cachafeiro/Al Jazeera]

By Martin Zinggl and Silvia Cachafeiro

Published On 19 Dec 2015

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Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal – Elephant polo originated in 1982, the bizarre idea of two British entrepreneurs, Jim Edwards and James Manclark.

Edwards had established Tiger Tops, a tourism venture which offered elephant safaris in 1961, and which has since become a family-run ecotourism lodge in Royal Chitwan National Park.

The idea of playing polo with elephants was born one day when his friend and polo enthusiast, Manclark came up with the idea. The game between friends has now turned into an annual tournament, taking place at Tiger Tops, which attracts polo enthusiasts and players from all over the world while offering a combination of sport, fun, and charity work. 

Today, elephant polo has been registered as an Olympic sport in Nepal and is internationally recognised as an official sport, which is also played in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The World Elephant Polo Association acts as an umbrella organisation for the championship in Nepal, where eight teams fiercely compete for five days in November.

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The bond between elephants and the mahout who takes care of them grows over the years, which can be seen in the attention lavished on the creatures during the daily routine of feeding and cleaning. Here, one of the elephants receives a pedicure. [Silvia Cachafeiro/Al Jazeera]
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Before the games start the mahouts paint their elephants with coloured chalk for decoration and divide them into two teams. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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Rules and regulations for elephant polo have been adapted from the equine game. The pitch is shortened, the polo mallets are longer and if an elephant sits or lies down in the goal, the opposing team is given a penalty shot. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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Eight teams of four players compete for the coveted championship. There is even an award for the best dressed team. This year's winners of the sartorial prize were the team 'Rusty Kukris' with their distinctive jerseys. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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Some participants have been playing elephant polo since its inception in 1982. Often their passion for the game goes beyond the pitch. The event raises money for elephant welfare in several countries. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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Kristjan Edwards, manager of Tiger Tops and son of elephant polo founder, acts as a referee in one of the four games played each day. A game consists of two halves, called chukkers, each lasting ten minutes. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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Although the slow-moving nature of the game might seem like an advantage at first glance, it is its biggest challenge. Since elephants are rather clumsy, accuracy when hitting the ball is the game. [Silvia Cachafeiro/Al Jazeera]
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Although played on the backs of heavyweight mounts, elephant polo can at times appear as elegant and light-footed as ballet. Due to the slower speed of the elephants, the pitch size has been reduced from an original horse polo pitch, to around 100 metres by 70. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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In the heat of the game the firm but flexible bamboo mallets often break. Attentive mahouts wait at the edge of the pitch to quickly replace them. [Silvia Cachafeiro/Al Jazeera]
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Team strategy is key and is often discussed at half-time during refreshments. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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Nepalese participants are known for their calm, cool manner and not showing their inner excitement in public. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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Spectators are enthusiastic when it comes to celebrating a goal, often exploding into cheers. [Silvia Cachafeiro/Al Jazeera]
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Peter 'Powerhouse' Prentice, chairman of the World Elephant Polo Association, says of the game: 'If played by beginners it is mostly lame, but when experienced players compete, it can get very exciting.' [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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Although the championship is played among friends and colleagues, elephant polo remains a competitive sport where, at the end of the day, one team loses and one wins. [Martin Zinggl/Al Jazeera]
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In 2015, EFG Switzerland became the 34th World Elephant Polo Champions and lifted the trophy. [Silvia Cachafeiro/Al Jazeera]