King’s cup elephant polo

Looking for a unique weekend?  How about a game of polo… on Elephant-back.  A charity event since 2001, The Anantara King’s Cup Elephant Polo tournament helps to raise money for orphan elephants in Thailand.

The Anantara King’s Cup Elephant Polo 2014

Thought not as fast as traditional horse-back polo, the event is entertaining nevertheless.  Each elephant carries 2 people: a mahout (driver), and a player.  As these are Thai elephants, the elephant will respond only to commands spoken in Thai.  A game lasts for 14 minutes, with two 7 minute “chukkas” (halves).  There is a 15 minute break between each “chukka” (half).  A few rules include…

Elephants (and riders) can not lie down in front of the goal
Elephants can not pick up the ball with their trunks!
When the event began back in 2001, there were only 2 teams.  Growing in popularity, last year’s King’s cup Elephant Polo had 16.

Only domestically bred Thai elephants are used in the event.  Elephants are DNA tested and chipped to verify wild / smuggled elephants are not used in the game.
Young (less than 20 years old), and fit for the event.
Limited play time: To ensure well being and comfort, each elephant is only allowed 30 minutes of Polo time per day.

In previous years, The King’s Cup Elephant Polo was held in Hua Hin, a laid-back BEACH town 2-3 hours south of Bangkok.  Due to it’s increasing popularity, the event has been MOVED to the Siam Polo Park at the VR Sports Club (link) roughly 20km outside Bangkok.

Money raised during the events goes towards elephant charities and preservation efforts.  To date, the event has raised $750,000 USD for various elephant groups around Thailand.

In addition to helping raise money for our 4 legged friends and having fun, there’s a strong chance you might bump into Thai celebrities, super models, and international athletes mingling in the crowds!  The atmosphere is lively and provides for a few enjoyable days watching something unique.

For more infomation….
Visit the Anantara Elephant Polo site: www.anantaraelephantpolo.com

Anantara HOTELS, Resorts & Spas
18th Floor, Berli Jucker House, 99 Soi Rubia, Sukhumvit 42 Rd, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 365 9110 Fax: +66 2 365 9110
Email: elephantpolo@anantara.com

 httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY4FGmbLkNY&feature=youtu.be