Federation of International Polo
Encyclopedia
Federation of International Polo was founded in 1983 with headquarters in Beverly Hills, USA, and currently represents the national polo
associations of more than 80 countries. It was the brain child of Marcos Uranga, then President of the Argentine Polo Association. The first World Polo Championship was played in Buenos Aires in 1987. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the General Assembly of the International Olympic Committee granted the status of an IOC Recognized Sport and accepted the Federation of International Polo as the worldwide governing body for the sport of polo. This decision was confirmed ("outright recognition") two years later.
In addition to organising international tournaments, FIP also develops international tournaments for children, conducts umpiring and coaching seminars and encourages participation in the sport of polo at all levels and ages and produces the International Rules of Polo through a cooperative agreement with the Asociación Argentina de Polo, the Hurlingham Polo Association
in the United Kingdom
, plus the United States Polo Association
.
The Federation is currently in turmoil, after the withdrawal of the US, Argentine and Hurlingham polo Associations, as these three represent over half of all polo players worldwide.
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
associations of more than 80 countries. It was the brain child of Marcos Uranga, then President of the Argentine Polo Association. The first World Polo Championship was played in Buenos Aires in 1987. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the General Assembly of the International Olympic Committee granted the status of an IOC Recognized Sport and accepted the Federation of International Polo as the worldwide governing body for the sport of polo. This decision was confirmed ("outright recognition") two years later.
In addition to organising international tournaments, FIP also develops international tournaments for children, conducts umpiring and coaching seminars and encourages participation in the sport of polo at all levels and ages and produces the International Rules of Polo through a cooperative agreement with the Asociación Argentina de Polo, the Hurlingham Polo Association
Hurlingham Polo Association
The Hurlingham Polo Association is the governing body for polo in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The Federation of International Polo produces the International Rules of Polo through a cooperative agreement with the Hurlingham Polo Association, the Asociación Argentina de Polo , plus...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, plus the United States Polo Association
United States Polo Association
The United States Polo Association is the national governing body for the sport of polo in the United States since 1890. The USPA provides resources to approximately 3600 individual members and 250 polo clubs across the U.S. and Canada, including coordinating and supervising professional polo...
.
The Federation is currently in turmoil, after the withdrawal of the US, Argentine and Hurlingham polo Associations, as these three represent over half of all polo players worldwide.