The Jaipur polo team trounced the English teams and won the Royal Windsor Cup in 1933
Comprising Prince Prithi Singh, Rao Raja Abhay Singh, Rao Raja Hanut Singh & Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, the team also won Hurlingham championsip
Their unbeatable achievement prompted English cartoonist The Tout to sketch the Jaipur team mounted on an elephant and the British team running scared
Are you aware of the glorious Indian story which might once made headlines in England when the Indian teams trounced English players in Polo and won the Royal Windsor Cup in the year 1933?
In fact, this is an amazing story which bespeaks of the unbeatable achievement of the Indian team which had prompted English cartoonist The Tout (P. R. Buchanan) to sketch the victorious Jaipur team, being shown in all its rich might mounted on an elephant, reflecting regality and royalty while the British team was seen running here and there, scared, off ground.
Even the caption of the sketch was quite interesting and read: A Jaipur Allegory — Look out, the Elephant’s coming.
The victorious Jaipur team comprised Prince Prithi Singh, Rao Raja Abhay Singh, Rao Raja Hanut Singh and Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II who visited England and won every tournament, including the Hurlingham, the Royal Windsor Cup and many others that they played.
After making a clean sweep of major international tournaments, the Polo Bar was set up at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur which narrates the tale of the glorious polo connection it shares with the world. The mighty trophies, black and white pictures of polo teams from erstwhile era and the classy accessories, for once, at once, take you in another era where Jaipur team ruled the Polo World.
The trophies, won by the Jaipur Maharaj over the years in different parts of the world , are installed on the wall bespeaking interesting tales related to Sawai Man Singh II who was a world-class polo player with a handicap of 10.
Being a part of the Jaipur team, Sawai Man Singh II along with Hanut Singh of Jodhpur, another 10-goaler, won the Indian championship from 1932-39.
In fact, Sawai Man Singh’s love for Polo stood intact for all his life and he died during a polo match in England at the age of 58 at Cirencester, Gloucestershire, about 90 miles from London whic speaks volumes for his love for this pristine sport
