Hong Kong polo devotees come together in attempt to breathe new life into the sport
A group of enthusiasts are eager to reintroduce the game to city in the hope of increasing competition across Asia
A group of polo lovers is confident they can reintroduce the sport in Hong Kong, find a field and create facilities despite land being in short supply.
The group has given itself five years to establish a club and ground for a sport that was last seen in Shek Kip Mei and Happy Valley decades ago.
"There has been a history of polo in Hong Kong since the mid 1960s, originally imported via the Hong Kong Jockey Club. However, the horses and the local aspects of the sport left with the handover in 1997," said David Savage, chief executive and founder of Asia World Polo, a group formed to run the project.
Hong Kong players are fractured as we all play for different teams around the world and rarely get a chance to get together
"There remained frustrated polo players to this day, each having to keep their horses overseas and play around the region. We saw there was an opportunity and momentum to look at ways to reintroduce this exciting sport.
"Hong Kong is one of the only major cities in the world that cannot host international polo competitions," he said.
Savage and his fellow enthusiasts are setting up a national team with at least half of the players being Hong Kong nationals and residents.
"We are confident in sourcing suitable land that can be adapted for polo use and are in the process of engaging an experienced specialist local partner to assist with this aspect," said Savage.