Elephant polo game, injuring two players and destroying the Spanish team's minibus. Allegations of cruel treatment of polo elephants, made by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, have led to match cancellation, sponsorship withdrawal and the removal of references to elephant polo records in the Guinness Book of World Records. The Thailand Elephant Polo Association announced in October 2018 that it will end polo matches in Thailand. A polo tournament had been held annually at Anantara Hotel Bangkok owned by Minor Hotels. Elephant polo Elephant polo is a variant of polo played while riding elephants. It is played in Nepal, Rajasthan
War elephant left a deep cultural legacy in many countries. Many traditional war games incorporate war elephants. Chaturanga, the ancient Indian board game from which modern chess has gradually developed, calls its bishop "Gaja", meaning elephant in Sanskrit; it is still called an elephant in Chinese chess. Also in Arabic – and derived from it, in Spanish – the bishop piece is called "al-fil", Arabic for "elephant"; in Russian, too, the bishop piece is an elephant (Слон). In Bengali, the bishop is called "hati", Bengali for "elephant". In the Japanese game shogi, there used to be a piece known as the "Drunken