In a suburban area just outside the southern part of Moscow, a group of enthusiasts regularly gathers to play bike polo. It is a modern version of an old game where bicycles replace horses. Players move around a hockey field, trying to score goals using long mallets instead of the usual polo sticks.

Artyom Nesterov, one of the players, describes bike polo as a simple street sport with two teams of three players each. The challenge is to handle the mallets while riding bikes, avoiding crashes with other players, as Sergei Gavrilov, another participant, points out. Bike polo started in Ireland in the late 1800s and has become popular across Europe, Asia, and America, but it still has a small following in Russia. In Moscow, teams sometimes compete against opponents from other cities, with about 20 to 30 dedicated players like Pavel Smirnov hoping to see the sport grow and gain recognition. Beyond competition, bike polo in Moscow is about its close community. Smirnov highlights the friendships and fellowship among players, forming a small community where people bond. As bike polo enthusiasts in Moscow work to raise the sport’s profile to match North America and Europe, they continue to attract people who enjoy its mix of athleticism and strategy. With determination and passion, they aim to make bike polo a bigger part of Russia’s sports scene, promoting both competition and friendship.