THE CHAMPION'S REIN

HRH Princess Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah is leveraging her influence to inspire gender equality in a fast-evolving sport

- Tania Jayatilaka

Princess Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah is the athletic daughter of the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. She shares her father's love for polo, and dedicates almost every waking hour to developing her skill and endurance in this highly demanding sport.

"When I'm not playing practice games, off the horse I train with my personal trainer on polo conditioning," the 39-year-old sportswoman explains. "My goal is to progress further with the use of sports science in my polo development-training smart, improving physicality, flexibility, nutrition and mindset."

She shares with Tatler how her early school days were peppered with sporting team events after class, with her equestrian prowess emerging as young as four years old when she began riding and showjumping. It was not until she was studying for her law degree at the University of Warwick, though, that she took up polo. "There was no actual plan to commit to polo; it was all a coincidence and people I met along the way who pointed me in the right direction," Princess Azemah says. "Once I started, I fell in love with the sport and now I can't imagine not playing."

What she lacked in experience when she started, she made up for with sheer discipline and commitment to her training. This was at a time when polo was largely a man's game, especially in Brunei where female players were a rarity. Thankfully, she had the benefit of an exceptional coach in Marianela Castagnola-one of Argentina's top female polo players and the only female rider to win the prestigious Copa de Republica in Argentina, in 1997. Through rigorous training and hard work, Princess Azemah eventually earned a place in the Brunei National Polo Team.