A four-way Chogan (polo) match is to be held in Isfahan, IRNA reported.
The Chogan competition is scheduled to take place at Arqavanieh Equestrian Club October 9 and 10, on the occasion of the 2014 ICCN (Inter-City Intangible Cultural Cooperation Network) festival (October 8 – 12).
The four teams competing are: Artesh, Moqavemat, Fulad Mobarakeh Sepahan, and Zob Ahan Isfahan.
Isfahan is the birth-place of Chogan, according to Masud-Hossein Mirzaee festival secretary, and the current event is an opportunity to revive this traditional sport.
Citing the many references to the sport in Persian poetry and ancient manuscripts, Mirzaee believes Chogan to be a part of the Iranian heritage. However; he stated, Azerbaijan Republic has already claimed the game and registered it on its own intangible heritage list, and added that a series of documents are being currently prepared to put the Iranian case to UNESCO, with a view to having what is believed to be the true origins of the game recorded.
