NEW SPORTS
Westway Sports Centre in London – offering bike polo sessions in partnership with Bikeminded
“The bike polo scene is like a big family – once you start playing you quickly make friends”
which can be used for exhibitions and events. Duffy says that financial con- straints make it difficult at times to get new projects off the ground. “The problem is that the regional
associations and organisations are run entirely by volunteers, so there’s only so much we can do. As we aren’t yet recognised by Sport England, we get no financial help towards our projects and have to fund everything ourselves or look for sponsors. “In other countries – such as Germany
and France – the government is really backing hardcourt polo. In France, for example, purpose-built courts are being built for the sport.” This lack of funding is currently threat-
ening one of LHBPA’s flagship projects – it plans to establish bike polo courts in the middle of the historic Herne Hill velodrome. “The concrete has been poured and we’re nearly there,” says Duffy. “But we still need another £16,000 to finish it off and establish a fence around the courts to make it play- able – it’s very frustrating.”
WE’RE DOING IT
has added bike polo to its offering. The centre started running weekly open sessions in March 2012. They take place each Thursday and are hosted by Bikeminded, an organisation which encourages people to cycle in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The sport is attracting a following and interested players need no
W
GET INVOLVED While London remains the main hub for hardcourt bike polo in the UK, there are a number of active clubs around the country from Aberdeen to Plymouth. However, the lack of a national structure makes it hard for clubs to stay in touch with each other to organise games – and for regional associations to gauge the exact size of the sport in their locale. “It is becoming increasingly difficult
to accurately report on UK polo as a whole,” says Duffy. “For example, it’s
WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
which the ball moves in a predictable manner. Walled or solid sides need to be erected so players can ride along without risking injury. According to LHBPA recommendations, floodlights should also be available to allow games to be played during winter evenings. Each player will need a bike and a
T
mallet. While you can play polo on any bike, most regular players have
he minimum size for a playing area is 15m x 35m. The court has to be flat and on a surface on
purpose-built cycles or at least heavily modified ones. Low gearing, strong wheels that resist impact, wheel covers that stop spokes being damaged and a short wheelbase to allow tight cor- nering are all recommended. Powerful brakes are also useful, as are thick tyres that last longer on court. Nearly all mallets are home-made us-
ing golf clubs or ski poles as shafts and a length of utility pipe for a head. There is an easy-to-follow guide on making mallets available from the LHBPA.
estway Sports Centre in North Kensington, London, is one of the leisure centres that
equipment, as the centre rents bikes and provides mallets and balls. Kathryn Evans, director of opera-
tions at Westway, says: “With Olympic legacy plans in full swing, this is a great time to be harnessing the enthusiasm around cycling. Bike polo is fast, exhila- rating and fun to play. We’ve been able to forge some strong community links through the sport and it’s fantastic to see that this little-known sport is mak- ing a strong comeback.”
impossible to even begin to estimate the exact number of players in the country. Just this week I received an entry to this year’s London Open from a club in Grantham in Lincolnshire – we weren’t even aware that there were games being organised in that part of the country! It’s obvious that there are people out there setting up clubs after seeing clips of bike polo being played on youTube.” As interest in the sport grows, Duffy
hopes more councils and leisure centres with MUGAs and other suitable sur- faces will make their facilities available for games. The regional associations are keen to organise open days, during which qualified coaches will be on hand to introduce the sport to people. Duffy encourages facilities to get in touch with a local club or association, because all a leisure centre needs to provide is a space. “The sessions are completely free to
set up and most associations will even provide the bikes if needed,” Duffy says, and adds that a big part of the attrac- tion of bike polo is down to the social aspect. “The bike polo scene is like a big family. Once you start playing, you quickly make friends. The games them- selves – while competitive – are played in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.” ●
64 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital Issue 2 2013 © cybertrek 2013
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