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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:
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