Cycle-Polo, though yet to gain deserving popularity in Kolkata cannot be called unknown if considering its status across the country. The game is nowadays played in almost 25 states. Unfortunately, the lowest percentage of people seems to be aware of the significant information that India’s men’s Cycle-Polo team are the defending World Cup champion that was held three years ago in Argentina! Simultaneously, it is hardly known that the Bengal Cycle-Polo Association has been running an academy at Habibpur village, Ranaghat for the last 22 years! 

It should also be unheard of that Sonu Koiri who was a student of this Habibpur Cycle Polo Academy is one of the World Cup-winning Indian teams. 

The 33-year-old forward however was a victim of misfortune as he did not get employment due to over-age despite representing India in the World Cup and nowadays he works as a road-roller driver! 

Habibpur Cycle-Polo Academy has now 63 students from the age group of 10 years to the senior level. The academy however has taken a lesson from Sonu Koiri. They have been continuously striving to produce more players of international standard who can get into the Indian team before crossing 21 years as the employment of Cycle-Polo players materializes when an eligible player is aged between 18 and 21 years. 

Chief coach of the Academy Harju Pasi revealed, “Sonu Koiri was an excellent player. He performed consistently also in the World Cup. Still, he did not get the job as he was already 30 three years ago. Generally, the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Territorial Army Institute recruit Cycle-Polo players every year. In the last five years 20-25 players have got jobs from Bengal."

Pasi added, “The game is divided into four quarters like hockey. Each quarter consists of seven and a half minutes. You should adopt mastery in cycling especially as your game depends on your speed and positioning. From that point of view, young boys can adopt it fast.” Sonu Koiri has not left Cycle-polo. He is still playing for the Habibpur academy and in the ongoing senior national championship also. 

The academy boys’ excellent performance guided Bengal to the final of the ongoing senior national championship at Habibpur Academy ground on Tuesday. Bengal humbled Madhya Pradesh 17-2 to reach the final and they will meet Chhattisgarh.

Suvendra Mullick, the president of the Cycle-Polo Association of India (CPAI) and one of the anchor men to have initiated this academy 22 years ago said, “Most of the students are from the Habibpur village and they are financially under-privileged. Someone's father is a farmer. Someone's father is a daily laborer.”

"Everybody is provided the full gear including a cycle. Our aim is to produce more quality players for the country. Simultaneously, I would say organizing the Federation Cup and national championship have helped the game to get some promotion."