Polo in India has grown a lot, says Jaipur Polo veteran player Lance Watson

New Delhi: Jaipur Polo veteran player Lance Watson lauded India’s advancements in polo, highlighting enhanced player skills, upgraded fields, and improved facilities, noting the sport has become increasingly competitive and professional.

As a key player and top goal scorer (Season 2024-25) for the Jaipur Polo Team, Lance’s achievements include securing the Bhavnagar Polo Trophy (Oct 2024) with six goals in the semifinal and 3 in the final, Rajputana & Central Indian Cup (Dec 2024), BM Birla Cup (Sep 2024) with five goals in the semifinal and six goals in the final, and leading the team to victory in the Rajmata Gayatri Devi Memorial Cup (Jan 2024), scoring six and five goals in the semifinal and final, respectively.

“India has improved so much. The polo in India has grown a lot. Players and fields, and facilities have improved, and quite a few larger companies have come in and joined the sport, expanding it. So it’s become a lot more competitive and a lot more professional,” Lance Watson told ANI.

Lance expressed his enthusiasm for the current state of polo, citing significant advancements in the sport. He believes the level of horses, the number of players, and the overall quality of polo have reached a point where nobody foresaw them reaching.

“I think the sport has reached a point where I don’t think anyone foresaw it reaching. The level of horses, the number of polo players that are playing the sport at the moment, and just the overall quality of polo at this current moment is really super high,” Lance added.

Lance felt thrilled with the progress of the Jaipur Polo Team and is eager to take it to the next level. He believes there’s still room for growth, not just in terms of team numbers, but also in horse numbers and overall organisation.

Watson has been instrumental in the team’s success, leading them to victories in prestigious tournaments.

“For me, the project that we have going with the Jaipur team, I’d like to grow it a bit more. Being a part of the team from where we are now, we’ve come such a long way, and there’s still some more room to grow. With the team’s numbers, with horse numbers, the whole organisation has room to grow. So it’s been awesome being a part of it so far, and we’re obviously looking forward to growing it larger,” Lance concluded.

Lance’s association with the Jaipur Polo Team has been a game-changer in his career, showcasing his exceptional precision and strategic prowess. He’s instrumental in the team’s success, leading them to triumphs in prestigious tournaments like the Chinkara Cup, BM Birla Cup, and Kashmir Challenge Cup.

Watson continues to be an integral part of the Jaipur Polo Team, bringing his extensive experience, charisma, and skills to the field.