MNA � President of the Polo Federation Hojatollah Dehkhodaei said Chovgan, a forerunner of Polo, was named in the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage as Iran�s cultural heritage, contrary to the claims of some other countries, like Azerbaijan.







Chovgan is played on horseback and is recognized as a version of the modern Polo game.

On the sidelines of a ceremony to commemorate the universal registration of Chovgan, Dehkhodaei told reporters that UNESCO examined Iran's evidences regarding the possession of Chovgan as its cultural heritage, and finally voted for Iran�s legitimacy, and declared that the sport definitely belongs to Iran.

He also noted that Azerbaijan does not have a claim on Chovgan and has only registered the short-legged�Karabakh horse, on which the game was played.