The Sport of Kings is played in 77 countries around the world, but it is played professionally in only a few. Argentina, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, and the United States are among the countries in which polo is most popular.
Polo is growing in popularity in Asia. It has become popular in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Pattaya, Thailand, in recent years. It was played at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games, with teams representing Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand taking part.
There are currently only a handful of polo clubs in China, including the just opened Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club, which is located on the outskirts of Tianjin. Over the next 10 to 15 years, however, several more polo clubs will be built.
Games are divided into four, five, or six chukkas – with four the most common. Each chukka lasts seven minutes. Players switch horses between each chukka.
A handicap system is employed. The team with a lower handicap is given the difference in the form of goals before the game starts.