The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is the international federation representing the sport of polo, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The FIP was founded in 1982 by representatives of eleven national polo associations, and it represents the national polo associations of more than 80 countries. Its principal aim is to enhance the international image and status of polo.
In addition to organising international tournaments, the FIP develops international tournaments for children, conducts umpiring and coaching seminars, encourages participation in the sport at all levels and ages, and makes the international rules of polo through a cooperative agreement with the Asociación Argentina de Polo,[1] the Hurlingham Polo Association of Great Britain and Ireland,[2] and the United States Polo Association.[3]
In 1978, Marcos Uranga organized the first international polo tournament for clubs. It was held in Buenos Aires, with representatives from polo clubs throughout South America. Inspired by the success of the tournament, Uranga began considering the idea of competitions between countries.
By the early 1980s, motivated by the desire to broaden the scope of international polo and reinstate its Olympic status, Uranga (who became president of the Argentine Polo Association) suggested an international organization of polo-playing countries. Uranga and former US ambassador Glen Holden had become friends, and he asked Holden for help. An initial meeting was held in Buenos Aires, and by April 1982 a federation was created with the polo associations of twelve countries. Its headquarters were in Argentina because that country was considered to have the most experience in organizing tournaments. It was suitable for polo practice, had many horses, and many foreigners attended the annual Argentine Open. Uranga was the FIP's first president, a position he held for 15 years.
The federation was created by Uranga and Holden on November 25, 1982, in Buenos Aires with representatives of the national polo associations of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, France, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Spain and Zimbabwe. Its principal aim was to enhance the image and status of polo at the international level. In December of that year, the Argentine Polo Association invited the national polo associations of the twelve countries to a meeting to establish an international group that would promote international competitions, obtain recognition from the International Olympic Committee, standardise the rules of the sport, develop it worldwide, and support the breeding of polo ponies. When the FIP was founded, Uranga said that one of his primary objectives was to bring polo players together to enhance the sport. The federation was accepted as a member of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) in October 1992 at the association's general assembly in Monaco.
The FIP is a non-profit organization registered in Uruguay at the Ministry of Education and Culture and governed by Uruguayan law. It is known as the Federación Internacional de Polo in Spanish, hence its acronym FIP. Uranga stepped down as FIP president in 1997, although he remained active in the federation chose. Its second president was Glen Holden.
The European championship is a 6–8 goal tournament for all European FIP member countries. It was introduced in 1993 based on an idea by Reto Gaudenzi, the Swiss founder ambassador of the FIP who created the St. Moritz Snow Polo Tournament. The European championship's handicap provides an opportunity for European players and patrons to participate in a FIP event and represent their country. Due to Piero Dillier's work as zone C director, the event has grown in popularity. The European championship is unique in the close proximity of the European countries, which makes it easier for national federations to send ponies and players to the host country. It is the most valuable tournament, after the World Polo Championships.
In 2018, during the XII FIP European Polo Championship and II FIP Ladies European Polo Championship (both at the Villa a Sesta Polo Club in Italy), the organization had a record attendance of European polo teams and countries.
Every year, FIP and the polo federations of member countries organize events for children under 14. Players arrive a week before the tournament, and stay at the homes of families of local players. The Polo Training Federation of the US, the FIP, and El Dorado member Fred Mannix sponsored one of the first FIP children's tournaments in 1991.
FIP Snow Polo World Cup Invitational
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (April 2022)
First conceived in 1959, snow polo did not get its official start until 1985, when the first match was played on the frozen surface of Lake St. Moritz in Switzerland.[citation needed] Although the first match attracted only 1,000 spectators, snow polo has become more popular and is also played in Italy, Austria, France, the United States, Argentina, Russia, Spain and China.
Snow polo is notably gaining ground in China, where the inaugural Snow Polo World Cup Invitational was held in 2012 at the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club. The tournament is played according to FIP snow-polo rules. The Metropolitan Polo Club is China's largest polo facility. The tournament, hosted by the Equestrian Association of China and the FIP, is organized by the Tianjin Sports Bureau, the Hong Kong Polo Development and Promotion Federation (HKPDPF) and the Tianjin Polo Association with sponsor support.
2012 – Tianjin, China – (12 teams)
Winner: Hong Kong
Runner-up: South Africa
Other participants: England (third place), Argentina (fourth), Australia, Brazil, Chile, Italy, India, the US, New Zealand, France
2013 – Tianjin, China – (12 teams)
Winner: Hong Kong
Runner-up: Argentina
Other participants: England (third), South Africa (fourth), Australia, Brazil, Chile, Canada, India, the US, France, New Zealand
2014 – Tianjin, China (12 teams)
Winner: England
Runner-up: Hong Kong
Other participants: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the US
2015 – Tianjin, China (12 teams)
Winner: Brazil
Runner up: the US
Other participants: Argentina (third), France (fourth), Canada, Chile, England, Hong Kong, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Spain
2016 – Tianjin, China (six teams)
Winner: Hong Kong
Runner up: England
Other teams: Chile (third), Argentina (fourth), Canada, France
2017 – Tianjin, China (six teams)
Winner: Argentina
Runner-up: Hong Kong
Other teams: South Africa (third), England (fourth), Australia, US
FIP Super Nations Cup
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (April 2022)
With four professional teams from the world's leading polo nations, the 24-goal tournament has been held at the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club.
2012
Winner: Argentina
Runner-up: US
Third place: Hong Kong
2013
Winner: Hong Kong
Runner-up: England
Third place: US
Fourth place: Argentina
2014
Winner: Hong Kong
Runner-up: England
Third place: US
Fourth place: Argentina
Ambassador's Cup
FIP ambassadors are liaisons between the federation and individual countries. They represent the FIP's goals and objectives in his or her own country and work on behalf of the federation in other countries. An ambassador is asked to reach specific goals set by the FIP president, and are expected to support all FIP events with time, effort and horses. FIP ambassadors were created when the federation was founded to promote it in their own polo association and increase interest in the sport.
Nineteen countries signed up within a few years of FIP's founding, with ten more provisional members. The main vehicle for recruiting new member countries was a series of tournaments which became known as Ambassador's Cups. The tournaments originated as competition for FIP members and collaborators to engage them in the sport beyond the organizational realm and play polo in different parts of the world. One of the first Ambassador's Cups was held in Moscow to revive the sport, which had been abolished during the Russian Revolution in 1918. The tournament was played in a circus tent, since there were no fields.
The Women's Nations Cup was played from 12 to 16 December 2021 in Argentina. Three teams participated: Argentina, England and the US. The tournament was played with a 16-22 handicap at Palermo Polo Fields.
