Federation of International Polo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Federation of International Polo

Abbreviation	FIP
Formation	1982
Type	Sports federation
Headquarters	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Membership	82 (March 2022)
President	Piero Dillier
Website	fippolo.com

The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is the main group for the sport of horse polo around the world. The International Olympic Committee officially recognizes FIP.

FIP started in 1982. It was created by people from eleven different national polo groups. Today, FIP represents polo associations in more than 80 countries. Its main goal is to make polo more popular and important worldwide.

Besides organizing big international games, FIP also creates tournaments for kids. They hold classes for umpires and coaches. FIP wants to encourage everyone, no matter their age, to play polo. They also help set the international rules for polo. They do this with the Asociación Argentina de Polo, the Hurlingham Polo Association from Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States Polo Association.

History of Polo's Global Group

In 1978, a person named Marcos Uranga put together the first international polo tournament for clubs. This event happened in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Polo clubs from all over South America sent their teams. The tournament was a big success. This made Uranga think about having competitions between different countries.

By the early 1980s, Uranga wanted to make international polo even bigger. He also hoped to get polo back into the Olympic Games. He became the president of the Argentine Polo Association. He suggested creating an international group for countries that play polo. Uranga was friends with Glen Holden, a former US ambassador, and asked him for help.

They had an early meeting in Buenos Aires. By April 1982, the Federation of International Polo was officially formed. Twelve countries' polo associations joined. Argentina was chosen as the headquarters. This was because Argentina had a lot of experience organizing tournaments. It also had many horses and was a great place to play polo. Many international players visited the yearly Argentine Open. Marcos Uranga was the first president of FIP. He held this important job for 15 years.

Uranga and Holden officially started FIP on November 25, 1982, in Buenos Aires. Representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, France, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Spain, and Zimbabwe were there. Their main goal was to improve polo's image and standing around the world. In December 1982, the Argentine Polo Association invited these twelve countries to a meeting. They wanted to create an international group to:

• Promote international competitions.
• Get recognition from the International Olympic Committee.
• Make the rules of polo the same everywhere.
• Help polo grow worldwide.
• Support the breeding of polo ponies.

When FIP was founded, Uranga said he wanted to bring polo players together. This would help the sport grow. In October 1992, FIP became a member of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). This happened at their meeting in Monaco.

FIP is a non-profit group. It is registered in Uruguay with the Ministry of Education and Culture. Uruguayan law guides how it operates. In Spanish, it is called "Federación Internacional de Polo," which is why its short name is FIP. Uranga stepped down as FIP president in 1997. However, he continued to be involved with the federation. Glen Holden became the second president of FIP.

FIP Presidents

Name	Country	Term
Marcos Uranga	Argentina	1982–1998
Glen Holden Sr.	United States of America	1997–2006
Patrick Guerrand-Hermès	Morocco	2006–2009
James Ashton	Australia	2009–2010
Eduardo Huergo	Argentina	2010–2012
Dr. Richard T. Caleel	United States of America	2012–2014
Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers	United Kingdom	2014–2018
Horacio Areco	Argentina	2018–2022
Piero Dillier	Switzerland	2022–present

Types of Polo

Polo can be played in different ways:

• Arena Polo
• Beach Polo
• Grass Polo
• Snow Polo

FIP Member Countries

Types of Membership

FIP has different types of members:

• Full Members — 48 countries
  • Category A — 4 countries where polo is very popular and developed.
  • Category B — 14 countries with more than 100 registered polo players (not in Category A).
  • Category C — 30 countries with up to 100 registered polo players (not in Category B).
• Corresponding Members — 22 countries.
• Contact Members — 12 countries.

Membership Zones

FIP divides its member countries into different zones:

• Zone A — North and Central America — 11 countries
• Zone B — South America — 10 countries
• Zone C — Europe — 28 countries
• Zone D — East Asia and Oceania — 12 countries
• Zone E — Africa and West Asia — 21 countries

FIP Events and Tournaments

FIP organizes many exciting polo events, including:

• World Polo Championship (for Men and Women)
• Polo at the Summer Olympics
• Polo at the Pan American Games
• Polo at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
• Polo at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games
• Polo at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games
• FIP Snow Polo World Cup Invitational
• FIP European Polo Championships
• FIP Ladies European Polo Championship
• FIP Super Nations Cup
• FIP Ambassador's Cup
• FIP Children's Championships
• European Championship
• Argentine Open Championship

Other Polo Events (Not FIP)

Some other polo events that are not organized by FIP include:

• PIPA Snow Polo World Cup Tour
• PIPA Beach Polo World Series
• Ezra Cup
• Mannheim May Market

World Polo Championships

Number	Year	Host	Winner
I	1987	Argentina	Argentina
II	1989	Germany	United States
III	1992	Chile	Argentina
IV	1995	Switzerland	Brazil
V	1998	United States	Argentina
VI	2001	Australia	Brazil
VII	2004	France	Brazil
VIII	2008	Mexico	Chile
IX	2011	Argentina	Argentina
X	2015	Chile	Chile
XI	2017	Australia	Argentina
XII	2022	United States	Spain

European Polo Championships

Men's European Championships

The European Championship is a polo tournament for European FIP member countries. It started in 1993. The idea came from Reto Gaudenzi, a Swiss founder of FIP. He also created the St. Moritz Snow Polo Tournament. This championship allows European players to represent their country in a FIP event. Thanks to Piero Dillier, the event has become very popular. It's easier for European countries to send horses and players to the host country because they are close. This makes it a very important tournament, second only to the World Polo Championships.

In 2018, the XII FIP European Polo Championship and II FIP Ladies European Polo Championship took place. Both were held at the Villa a Sesta Polo Club in Italy. A record number of European polo teams and countries participated.

In 2023, Spain won, Azerbaijan was second, and Germany was third.

European Men's Medals (1993–2023)

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	England (ENG)	6	1	1	8
2	Italy (ITA)	3	2	0	5
3	France (FRA)	2	1	2	5
	Spain (ESP)	2	1	2	5
5	Ireland (IRL)	1	2	2	5
6	Austria (AUT)	0	2	0	2
	Azerbaijan (AZE)	0	2	0	2
8	Germany (GER)	0	1	3	4
9	Netherlands (NED)	0	1	1	2
10	Belgium (BEL)	0	1	0	1
11	Switzerland (SUI)	0	0	2	2
12	Sweden (SWE)	0	0	1	1
Totals (12 entries)		14	14	14	42

Women's European Championships

• 2017 – Chantilly, France (4 teams)
  • Winner: Italy
  • Runner-up: France
  • Third place: Germany
  • Fourth place: England

• 2018 – Villa a Sesta, Italy (4 teams)
  • Winner: Germany
  • Runner-up: Italy
  • Third place: Netherlands
  • Fourth place: France

• 2021 - La Mimosa Polo Club, Italy (4 teams)
  • Winner: Italy
  • Runner-up: England
  • Third place: Ireland
  • Fourth place: Germany

• 2023 - Punta Ala, Italy
  • Winner: Germany
  • Runner-up: Italy
  • Third place: France

Women's Medals (2017–2023)

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Italy (ITA)	2	2	0	4
2	Germany (GER)	2	0	1	3
3	France (FRA)	0	1	1	2
4	England (ENG)	0	1	0	1
5	Ireland (IRL)	0	0	1	1
	Netherlands (NED)	0	0	1	1
Totals (6 entries)		4	4	4	12

Other FIP Tournaments

Children's Polo Events

Every year, FIP and polo groups in member countries organize events for kids under 14. Young players often arrive a week before the tournament. They stay with local families who play polo. In 1991, one of the first FIP children's tournaments was sponsored by the Polo Training Federation of the US, FIP, and Fred Mannix.

FIP Snow Polo World Cup Invitational

Snow polo was first thought of in 1959. But the first official game on a frozen lake was in 1985. This happened on Lake St. Moritz in Switzerland. At first, only about 1,000 people watched. Now, snow polo is much more popular. It is played in countries like Italy, Austria, France, the United States, Argentina, Russia, Spain, and China.

Snow polo is growing fast in China. The first Snow Polo World Cup Invitational there was in 2012. It took place at the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club. This tournament follows FIP's special snow polo rules. The Metropolitan Polo Club is the biggest polo facility in China. The Equestrian Association of China and FIP host the tournament. The Tianjin Sports Bureau, the Hong Kong Polo Development and Promotion Federation (HKPDPF), and the Tianjin Polo Association organize it with help from sponsors.

• 2012 – Tianjin, China – (12 teams)
  • Winner: Hong Kong
  • Runner-up: South Africa
  • Other teams: England (third), Argentina (fourth), Australia, Brazil, Chile, Italy, India, the US, New Zealand, France

• 2013 – Tianjin, China – (12 teams)
  • Winner: Hong Kong
  • Runner-up: Argentina
  • Other teams: 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 teams: 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 teams: 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 tournament features four professional teams from the top polo countries. It 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

The Ambassador's Cup

FIP ambassadors are like special representatives for the federation in different countries. They help promote FIP's goals and polo itself. An ambassador works to achieve specific goals set by the FIP president. They are also expected to support all FIP events with their time, effort, and horses. The role of FIP ambassadors was created when the federation started. Their job was to spread the word about FIP and make more people interested in polo.

Within a few years of FIP's founding, nineteen countries joined. Ten more became temporary members. The main way to get new member countries was through a series of tournaments called Ambassador's Cups. These tournaments allowed FIP members and helpers to play polo in different parts of the world. One of the first Ambassador's Cups was held in Moscow. It aimed to bring polo back to Russia, as it had been stopped during the Russian Revolution in 1918. The tournament was even played in a circus tent because there were no polo fields!

Ambassador's Cup

Edition	Date	City	Region/State	Country	Teams
1	November 1987	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	Unknown
2	January 1988	Santiago		Chile	5
3	April 1988	Palm Springs	California	US	7
4	1988	Palm Beach	Florida	US	8
5	March 1989	Santiago		Chile	12
6	October 1989	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	4
7	March 1990	Sydney	New South Wales	Australia	8
8	October 1990	Unknown	Unknown	Brazil	30
9	November 1990	Buenos Aires	Buenos AIres	Argentina	16
10	April 1991	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	8
11	November 1991	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	12
12	April 1992	Unknown	Unknown	Brazil	16
13	November 1992	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	12
14	April 1993	Mexico City	Mexico City	Mexico	14
15	August 1993	Unknown	Unknown	Zimbabwe	16
16	September 1993	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	Unknown
17	November 1993	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	19
18	April 1994	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	8
19	May 1994	Unknown	Unknown	Brazil	28
20	November 1994	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	16
21	November 1994	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	16
22	February 1995	Lahore	Punjab	Pakistan	4
23	February 1995	Costa Careyes	Jalisco	Mexico	6
24	April 1995	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	8
25	August 1995	Unknown	England	United Kingdom	6
26	September 1995	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	8
27	November 1995	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	16
28	January 1996	San José	San José Province	Costa Rica	8
29	March 1996	Lake Worth	Florida	US	9
30	October 1996	Jaipur	Rajasthan	India	Unknown
31	November 1996	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	10
32	February 1997	Santiago		Chile	16
33	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
34	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
35	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
36	October 1998	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	Unknown
37	April 1999	Chantilly	Hauts-de-France	France	14
38	October 1999	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	8
39	February 2000	Punta del Este	Maldonado	Uruguay	4
40	April 2000	Casa de Campo	La Romana	Dominican Republic	12
41	2000	Unknown	Unknown	Spain	Unknown
42	November 2000	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	4
43	September 2001	Johannesburg	Gauteng	South Africa	Unknown
44	November 2001	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	16
45	April 2002	Mexico City	Mexico City	Mexico	Unknown
46	November 2002	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	Unknown
47	September 2003	Chantilly	Hauts-de-France	France	Unknown
48	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
49	December 2003	Bariloche	Río Negro	Argentina	8
50	June 2004	Indaiatuba	São Paulo	Brazil	Unknown
51	October 2004	Buenos Aires	Buneos Aires	Argentina	9
52	May 2005	Sotogrande	Andalusia	Spain	12
53	September 2005	Berlin	Berlin	Germany	8
54	November 2005	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	10
55	March 2006	New Delhi	Delhi	India	7
56	August 2006	Ulaanbaatar	Ulaanbaatar	Mongolia	4
57	September 2006	Aiken	South Carolina	US	4
58	December 2006	Salta	Salta	Argentina	10
59	April 2007	Orlândia	São Paulo	Brazil	10
60	June 2007	Unknown	England	United Kingdom	8
61	November 2007	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	24
62	September 2008	New York	New York	US	8
63	September 2008	Teheran	Ostān-e-Tehrān	Iran	4
64	November 2008	Lima	Lima Province	Peru	4
65	November 2008	Mar del Plata	Buenos Aires Province	Argentina	8
66	March 2009	Sydney	New South Wales	Australia	Unknown
67	April 2009	Kuala Lumpur	Wilayah Persekutuan	Malaysia	4
68	September 2009	Siena	Toscana	Italy	Unknown
69	November 2009	Quito	Pichincha Province	Ecuador	Unknown
70	November 2009	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	Unknown
71	September 2010	Unknown	New York State	US	8
72	September 2010	Lima	Lima Province	Peru	Unknown
73	November 2010	San Luis	San Luis	Argentina	8
74	February 2011	Costa Careyes	Jalisco	Mexico	4
75	November 2011	Santiago		Chile	Unknown
76	March 2012	New Delhi	Delhi	India	6
77	April 2012	Palm Beach	Florida	US	8
78	November 2012	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	12
79	April 2013	Palm Beach	Florida	US	6
80	September 2013	Rome	Lazio	Italy	5
81	November 2013	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	12
82	April 2014	Palm Beach	Florida	US	6
83	June 2014	Teheran	Ostān-e-Tehrān	Iran	8
84	September 2014	Rome	Lazio	Italy	6
85	November 2014	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	16
86	September 2015	Victoria	British Columbia	Canada	6
87	October 2015	Rome	Lazio	Italy	4
88	November 2015	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	12
89	April 2016	Port Mayaca	Florida	US	8
90	July 2016	London	England	United Kingdom	6
91	September 2016	Rome	Lazio	Italy	6
92	December 2016	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	12
93	May 2017	Santa Barbara	California	US	6
94	April 2017	Courances	Île-de-France	France	6
95	September 2017	Rome	Lazio	Italy	Unknown
96	November 2017	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	Unknown
97	April 2018	Unknown	Unknown	US	8
98	May 2018	Santiago de Querétaro	Querétaro	Mexico	8
99	July 2018	Rome	Lazio	Italy	12
100	September 2018	Indaiatuba	São Paulo	Brazil	20
101	December 2018	Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	Argentina	12
102	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
103	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
104	October 2019	Lahore	Punjab	Pakistan	6
105	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
106	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
107	November 2021	Unknown	Unknown	Argentina	Unknown
108	February 2022	Punta del Este	Maldonado	Uruguay	4
109	August 2022	Asunción	Asunción	Paraguay	8

Women's Nations Cup

The Women's Nations Cup was played from December 12 to 16, 2021, in Argentina. Three teams took part: Argentina, England, and the US. The tournament was played at Palermo Polo Fields.

Here are the teams and their players:

• England (21 handicap points total):
  • Georgie Cunningham (0)
  • Steph Haverhals (4)
  • Milly Hine (7)
  • Hazel Jackson (10)

• US (21 handicap points total):
  • Cecelia Cochran (5)
  • Dawn Jones (6)
  • Meghan Gracida (3)
  • Hope Arellano (7)

• Argentina (22 handicap points total):
  • Lia Salvo (10)
  • Milagros Sanchez (7)
  • Azucena Uranga (5)
  • Paulina Vasquetto (0)

See also

In Spanish: Federación Internacional de Polo para niños

• World Polo Championship
• Horseball
• Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations
• International Chovgan Federation (IGF) for Chovgan