One of the five open championships played in the country, the Chivas Regal Polo Championships promises par excellence polo, combining the best of skill and daring, verve and style and a veritable treat to the aficionados of the game.

This year's Chivas Regal championship will witness the participation of five teams, including Army, Aravali Polo, ITC Maurya, Oberoi Blues and Kashmir-Jodhpur. The matches will be played on league basis, with each team playing the other in the initial stage. The championship will see some of the fnest players of the game in the country, including Manupal Godara, J S Virk, Vikramaditya Singh and Samir Suhag.

This is the only tournament of the year which is played over five chukkers. The teams are a minimum of 10 goals and a maxmum of 20 goals. Last year's finals were played between Mewar and Oberoi Blues (19-goal teams) and Oberoi Blues won the trophy. The final this time will be played at 3 pm on january 24.

With the weather conditions in the Capital just beginning to look bright, save the odd hiccups, the polo season promises to be good, though it started with the SMS Gold Vase (8 goals) on January 2. And it was to be followed by Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Scindia Gold Cup (12) goals but had to be suspended with midway through as the ground became slushy with unseasonal rain.

The Polo Club had to defer the rest of the tournaments that it had scheduled in its calender for the month. With a heavy season ahead, the club had been conducting matches at two venues, Army Equestrian Centre (Delhi Cantt) and the Jaipur Polo ground.

After the Chivas Regal championship, the other tournaments including Scindia Gold Cup, Sir Pratap Singh Cup (14) goals, Addl DG RVS Cup (2) goals will follow and culminate with Junior IPA Championship.