The Royal Pahang Classic Centenary Cup Capped The Royal Pahang Polo Club’s 100 Years’ Anniversary Celebrations

In Pahang’s royal town of Pekan, the tradition and game of polo arrived with the historic 1926 royal wedding between Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang and a princess of the Perak royal family—Raja Fatimah Sultan Sir Iskandar Shah Kadasullah. It was Sultan Iskandar’s gifts of polo ponies to Sultan Abu Bakar which then led the Pahang royal family to take to polo, and found the Royal Pahang Polo Club in the same year.

[insert video]

This year in September, a century on from that founding year, the Royal Pahang Polo Club celebrates its grand anniversary, helmed by His Royal Highness (HRH) Tengku Abdullah Tengku Ahmad Shah, the current sultan of Pahang and the grandson of Sultan Abu Bakar, who had sown the roots of polo in the state, which his grandson now serves as its ruler. 

Here in this town, named after the flowering Bunga Pekan which grows wild along the Pahang River’s banks, the Royal Pahang Polo Club’s grounds were awash with activity, with the thundering hooves of polo ponies and cheers of the crowd, to the excitement of the Pasar Sera pop-up bazaar with a revolving roster of magicians, live bands and even a magician. 

At the nearby VIP viewing lounge, a host of partners to the Royal Pahang Polo Club’s centenary celebrations congregated, including Sincere Fine Watches representing the extraordinary watchmaker Jacob & Co—famous for its innovative complications, lavish gem-setting and groundbreaking designs.

Among the many high horology stars on display was the mechanical music box Opera Godfather rose gold timepiece in which 658 components work to play a 120-note mechanical rendition of The Godfather theme song. Also on show was the Bugatti Tourbillon in titanium, the bejewelled Fleurs de Jardin, the Epic X Flight of CR7 in Rose Gold, and the dual time The World is Yours Salman Khan edition. 

Guests at the lounge were royally treated to a delicious tasting of Caspian Heritage Group’s caviar offering palatal delights such as Imperial Baerii sourced from 20-year-old Siberian sturgeon. The effect of careful sourcing results in a creamy, buttery and flavourful taste, washed down with cool and crisp Perrier sparkling water. 

Another partner to the finale event at the VIP viewing lounge was Spanish handcrafted porcelain house Lladró, which showcased its equine range from a unicorn sculpture to the high porcelain Arabian pure breed.  Across the three-day finale of the Royal Pahang Classic Centenary Cup, the guests saw playoff matches with six teams competing for the Centenary Cup. The deciding final ended in a shared trophy lift from a seven-all tie between teams Royal Pahang and Jogo Polo.

With all the activity around the main Sultan Field and Mahkota Field as well as the main stage, there was still time for the spectators to enjoy the games, which pulsed with adrenaline and sportsmanship, with breaks between the chukkas offering moments of camaraderie. 

Among some of the other spectacular sights at the event was an opening show by the Air Force drum corps with paratroopers bearing the Pahang flags and the Royal Pahang Polo Club standards. Feats of archery on horseback added to the equine-flavoured proceedings while the audience was similarly entertained by cultural dances, live jazz and acoustic shows, and a glorious drone and fireworks show to cap a memorable centennial celebration of the Royal Pahang Polo Club. 

Cover image: His Royal Highness Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, the sultan of Pahang astride his horse. 

Photography and videography by muhdafiqqqx / MAX Production