THE 1999 INTERNATIONAL POLO TOURNAMENT, IMPHAL
 

The Manipur International Polo Tournament and Cultural Festival ‘99 is going to be held under the auspices of All Manipur Polo Association (AMPA) at Imphal, the capital of Manipur, India, from 5- 11 December, 1999. All Manipur Polo Association  with His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales as the Royal Patron, and His Excellency, the Governor of Manipur as Patron-in-chief is one of the oldest Polo Associations in the world. It is the apex body and the sole custodian of Sagol Kangjei, the  traditional Polo of Manipur, besides the modern International Polo in Manipur.
The game of Polo was originated from the traditional Sagol Kangjei of Manipur.  So Tournament will provide an opportunity to the polo players of the world to play on the soil of its birthplace. Nearly ten thousand polo enthusiasts and sports loving people of  Manipur will witness games at the historic Polo ground located in the heart of the Imphal City. Besides the tournament, enchanting indigenous sports and cultural programs are also  arranged to expose the rich cultural heritage of Manipur.
The All Manipur Polo Association invites you to join this polo extravaganza of  this millennium in the birthplace of polo. Since this tournament is an open one, you can  send player of any handicap. Polo lovers all over the world are also invited to witness the  traditional game of Sagol Kangjei and the martial arts games still played by the Manipuris.

Facilities for the Visiting Teams:
i. The All Manipur Polo Association, Imphal, will provide accommodation and food.
ii. Every player will be provided with Manipuri Sagol (Manipuri polo pony) having 11 h.h. at an average. They are sturdy, sure-footed and tenacious.  Players if  they wish may bring their own ponies at their own cost. Feeding and stable of outstation ponies will be provided. However players are expected to bring their own polo sticks 40” to  42” approximately in length.
iii. Cultural programme including traditional polo and sightseeing will be  arranged specially for the visiting teams.
iv. Tournament will be provided under IPA rules. It will be an Open Tournament.

Each entry should include the following information:
i.   Name of the team, ii.   List of players with 2 passport photographs and iii.   Handicap of each player (Individual players need not to submit the name of the team, rather their respective country)
Organizing Committee:
i. Chairman - Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh, Chief Minister, Manipur, India
ii. Working Chairman - Thounaojam Chaoba Singh, Union Minister of State,Culture, Youth
    Affairs and Sports, Government of India
iii. Coordinator - Prof. K. Saratchandra Singh
iv. Joint Coordinator - Hareshwor Goshwami

Communication:
Imphal, the capital of Manipur is linked with other parts of the India by roadways namely the National Highway 39 via Kohima, the capital of Nagaland State and the National Highway 53 through Silchar, Assam. Indian Airlines and Jet Airways also link it with Calcutta on  all the days, Delhi on Sunday and Thursday, and with Guwahati on Sunday and Thursday.
Air : For upto date information regarding air traffic, please contact any Indian Airlines Office or Jet Airways.
Rail : Dimapur, Nagaland on North East Frontier Railways (India) is the nearest railhead from Manipur. Regular buses ply between Dimapur and Imphal.  Manipur can be accessed from  Guwahati Railhead, which is more convenient.
Bus : Buses of Manipur State Road Transport Corporation ply between Imphal
and Guwahati and
Dimapur. Many private buses also ply between Imphal and Guwahati. Nagaland
Road Transport buses also ply between Imphal and Kohima
Note on Manipur Entry Requirement:
In addition to Visa to enter India, all foreign tourists/players visiting Manipur also require Restricted Area Permit issued by:

Indian Nationals visiting Manipur require Inner Line Permit if they have to pass through Nagaland. These permits are issued by: For inner line permits and Restricted Area Permits, you may contact Major Y.A. Singh at
Delhi at   e-mail: yasingh@delhi.nddb.ernet.in

For further information:
The All Manipur Polo Association
Palace Compound, Imphal - 795001
Manipur (India)
Tel : 91-0385-231291, 221339, and 221864;
FAX : 91-385-222092, 228624, and 240038
E-mail : ningthouja@hotmail.com