UNESCO lists polo as Iran cultural heritage

UNESCO has recognized the team sport of polo as an intangible cultural heritage of Iran.

The game of Polo, which is played on horseback, has been registered during a UNESCO session held in South Korea on Thursday, December 7.

The 12th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage added polo (known as ‘chogan’ in Persian) as Iran’s intangible cultural heritage.

The endeavor took some three years of extensive efforts, international negotiations, and close cooperation between Iran’s sports ministry and Cultural Heritage Organization.

Iran submitted a proposal for the inclusion of polo in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage to UNESCO on March 30, 2016.

The game of polo is played by players on horseback who score by driving a small ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled wooden mallet. The first game was reportedly played in 600 BC in ancient Persia.

AI/AG