Polo Looks To Grow In China

TIANJIN, CHINA - JULY 17: Chinese player Lin Yongyue, second from left, tries to control his horse as he and teammates leave the field after an exhibtion match against players from the United States and Great Britain at the intervarsity tournament at the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club on July 17, 2016 in Tianjin, China. China's rising affluence has nurtured growing interest in polo and other past-times regarded as noble or prestigious by the country's elite.  Clubs and international-size polo fields have been built in various cities including Beijing and Shanghai, and on the outskirts of Tianjin, where membership at the exclusive Goldin Metropolitan, China's largest polo club, is by invitation-only and fees can be significant for polo team owners. Increasingly, wealthy Chinese parents are choosing polo and other equestrian activities for their children as a way to bolster their credentials for admission to top-tier universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.  While the so-called "sport of kings" became a mainstay in Hong Kong during the era of British rule, polo is a relatively new sport to mainland China.  Professional polo players are frequently flown in from countries such as New Zealand and Argentina in order to field competitive matches. Many of the polo clubs in China are tied to luxury real estate developments. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)