The tournament is hosted by the Ceylon Elephant Polo Association (CEPA), an organisation founded by Geoffrey Dobbs, the man who brought elephant polo to Sri Lanka.

Elephant polo was first played in India as a pastime of the Maharaja's Harem, around the turn of the 20th century. The first games were played with soccer balls but these were soon replaced with standard polo balls, due to the elephants' tendency to puncture them. The sticks are made of bamboo and have a standard polo mallet on the end.

The elephants are brought from all over Sri Lanka and are specifically trained for the game. The aim is to hit the ball with a long stick from the top of an elephant into the goal. Three elephants and three players are used per team and each game consists of two seven minute "chukkas" of playing time. Each elephant is accompanied by a mahout, who sits on the elephant's neck and guides it with the use of his legs, while the player sits on a rough-hewn saddle on the creature's back. To ensure fair play, the elephants, mahouts and ends are changed at half time.

For a comprehensive history of the sport, as well as elephant polo news and events, visit the elephant polo website.