Saudi prince launches SMA Polo venture marking new era for game in Kingdom

RIYADH: Prince Salman bin Mansour has announced the creation of a new polo initiative.

The venture, SMA Polo, will see the establishment of a new, professional Saudi polo team that will compete in tournaments around the world.

The 19-year-old polo player and digital entrepreneur also aims to bring his vision for the sport to life by sharing his passion for the high-adrenaline game and support the making of Saudi Arabia into a thriving sporting powerhouse.

The prince said: “SMA Polo is my promise to work tirelessly to share my love of polo and inspire more young Saudis to live an active lifestyle, follow their passion, and together create future champions.

“This team has a clear vision to support the growth of the sport in the Kingdom and provide greater accessibility and more opportunities for young Saudis to discover the sport.

“Polo is such a unique sport. It is not only the relationship between the horse, but also the merge of equestrianism and polo as a team sport,” he added.

Prince Salman began playing polo at the age of 10 after visiting an exhibition game in the UK and has since trained all over the world to develop his skills.

He was part of the team that won the Saudi Polo Federation Silver Cup in April 2021 and was named most promising talent at the Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo tournament in March. He also recently completed five weeks of intense training in Sotogrande, Spain, in preparation for the new season.

He said: “It wasn’t until very recently that polo has become accessible in Saudi. Thanks to the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Polo Federation, we now have training facilities and tournaments.

“Playing in the Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo was a dream come true, not only to play alongside