 | |
| Highest governing body | Federación Argentina de Pato y Horseball (Argentine Federation of Pato and Horseball) |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | El deporte nacional ("The national sport")[1] |
| First played | 1610, Argentina[2] |
| Registered players | Yes |
| Clubs | no |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Yes |
| Team members | 4 per team |
| Mixed-sex | No |
| Type | Equestrian, ball game, team sport, outdoor |
| Equipment | Ball |
| Venue | Field (grass) |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Argentina |
| Olympic | No |
| Paralympic | No |
| Obsolete | Yes |
Pato, also called juego del pato (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxweɣo ðel ˈpato], literally "duck game"), is a game played on horseback that combines elements from polo and basketball. Since 1953 it has been the national sport of Argentina.[1]
- ^ a b "Argentina Decree Nº 17468 of 16/09/1953". Global Legal Information Network. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
Decree 17468 of 9/16/1953 decrees that the national sport or game shall be the one known as 'El Pato', as developed from an old game engaged in by the gauchos, and so truly Argentinean in origin.
- ^ "Pato, Argentina's national sport". Argentina.ar. Secretariat of Public Communication, Presidency of the Nation. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
In 1610, thirty years after Buenos Aires' second foundation and two hundred years before the May Revolution, a document drafted by the military anthropologist Felix de Azara described a pato sport scene taking place in the city.