BEIJING - It's rare enough to find one day of high-level polo to watch.

Starting on Friday, there will be 10.

Asia's highest-level event, the Royal Salute Gold Cup 2011 China Open Polo Tournament, begins in Beijing on Friday.

The tournament will be held at Tang Polo Club, located in eastern Beijing's Tongzhou district.

On the schedule are four- 10- and 16-goal tournaments, a children's day, a ladies exhibition and a 24-goal exhibition match.

Teams from four countries will compete.

Stars on hand will include Pepe Heagy, a former 10-goal handicap player from a famous Argentinean polo family, Macolm Borwick, the six-goal England International player, and Liu Shilai, China's top player and founder of Tang Polo.

Polo appeared in China in East Han Dynasty, peaked in the Tang Dynasty and continued through the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

When polo spread into Europe from the UK during 1960s, it spread amongst royalty and the elite of Europe.

Today professional polo players are dedicated to promote and encourage the sport among the world.

"I am honored to bring the sport to the attention of the Chinese people and continue to promote its development in China," said Liu.

"It is hoped that Royal Salute Gold Cup 2011 China Open Polo Tournament will make the sport better known and bring the culture of Chinese to the world. In this way the world will get a better understanding that polo actually originated from Tang Dynasty of China."

China Daily

(China Daily 10/12/2011 page22)