Pedaling Passion: The Rise of Bike Polo in Moscow

In a suburban Moscow hockey pitch, enthusiasts gather to play bike polo, a modern twist on an ancient game. Instead of horses, players use bicycles to drive a ball into the goal. Though niche, the sport is gaining traction, with a tight-knit community aspiring to international standards.

A small group of dedicated enthusiasts gathers regularly at a suburban hockey pitch on Moscow's southern edges to bring bike polo, an unusual sport, to Russia. This modern take on an ancient game swaps horses for bicycles, as players maneuver to drive a ball into their opponents' goal with a long-handled mallet.

'The game is as simple as it gets,' said player Artyom Nesterov. 'It's a street sport where two teams of three play. Instead of horses, we use bicycles.'

The sport demands a high level of skill, as players must coordinate chasing a ball while riding a bike and avoiding collisions with each other. 'The difficult thing is to combine and coordinate your mallet work with riding a bicycle,' explained player Sergei Gavrilov.

Bike polo, invented in Ireland in the late 19th century, has a small but dedicated following across Europe, Asia, and America. In Russia, where Moscow teams sometimes compete against rivals from other cities, it remains a niche pursuit but one with aspirations of mainstream success.

'We want to achieve the level of play we see in North America and Europe,' said player Pavel Smirnov, estimating that there are between 20 and 30 confident players in Moscow, a city of around 17 million. For now, the community's tight-knit nature is one of its main attractions.

Smirnov added, 'We have this feeling of a small underground friendly community where everyone treats everyone else with warmth.'

(With inputs from agencies.)