We followed the peace-sport organization's mission of
actively raising the consciousness of Peace Day through
international sports.
Over 20 countries participated in this our first year of Polo
4 Peace. From Pakistan's history of 2,500 years of "pulu" which
started as a war game and where they now played polo 4 Peace.
. Malaysia's celebration at the Royal Selangor Polo Club, in,
Kuala Lumpur. was by having a buka puasa after polo. In Cairo they
practiced during the week getting ready to play Polo 4 Peace .
The Detroit Polo Club draped a white blanket over the horse's
back as a symbol of peace. and asked the players, fans and guests
for a full minute of silence in respect of peace.
In Kenya 4 teams battled on the polo field for two days until
one was victorios in winning the bronze trophy casted in the image
of the Polo 4 Peace signl, The winners will defend their title or
pass it on to next year champions.
In California at the San Diego Polo Club', twin professional
Argentine polo players hung peace signs on their helmets and horses
while playing fantastic polo wearing these peace symbols the
announcer explained the day's significance.
Here in Argentina we played FEM Polo 4 Peace at San Diego
Polo Club in Pilar. Four teams comprised of the best and most
charismatic Argentine women polo players held a full blown
tournament. A heavily read polo news Internet site asked all his
readers to please take a moment of silence before any match or
tournament began in Argentina on September 21st. Many clubs
reported that they repected,
The most wonderfull idea waswhen the Berlinger Polo Club in
Berlin ,Germany invited and hosted Iraq's Army Polo players,to
friendly chukkas and a week in Berlin. ending on September 21st.
Success for Polo 4 Peace's first year efforts were maximized.
The beneficiary of the event disabled US solders and Iraqi
civilians.
Recently in the United States, soldiers recovering from arm
and leg amputations have participated in equine therapy on horses
from the Caisson Platoon in Ft. Myer, Virginia, provided through
the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association's "Horses
for Heroes" program. This form of therapy has proven to greatly
speed up the recovery of balance, muscle tone and patient
confidence. (See www.narha.org for more information)
Officials in the new Iraqi government want to learn more
about equine therapy and equine assisted activities with the
objective of training Iraqis in these skills so that the thousands
of Iraqi military and civilian amputees can also benefit from these
therapies. A delegation of six equestrian experts from Iraq led by
Brigadier General Abdulsalam Adnan Alobedy will visit Berlin for
one week to start learning the equine therapy as well as visit
other institutions of interest such as to the headquarters of Otto
Bock, a manufacturer of high-tech artificial limbs, to discuss how
the equine therapy can be aided by the newest technological
developments in "intelligent" prostheses
This is now a global annual event for the world's wonderful
polo community ,just like Peace Day is September 21st every year
for the next 2,500 . t
In response to assignment:
iReport for CNN