Ten Days, Thirty Hours of Sleep, and a Sport I Knew Nothing About

When people see Buzzer Arena TV covering international polo events today, it probably looks natural. As if we have always known the sport, understood its traditions, and knew exactly how to produce a professional broadcast.

The truth is very different.

On January 31st, at Emaar Polo Club in Dubai, we delivered our first polo broadcast in the UAE, and our first polo broadcast ever.

At that moment, we knew almost nothing about the sport.

We did not understand the scoring system. We did not know what viewers expected to see. We had very little understanding of the rules, the flow of the game, or the many technical and safety challenges that come with filming a sport played by athletes on horseback at high speed.

What we did have was determination.

We travelled to Dubai with almost nothing prepared. We had no established local production team, no experience in polo broadcasting, and very little time. Within just two days, we managed to find a crew, organize the necessary equipment, build a production plan, and somehow convince ourselves that everything would work.

Looking back, that confidence was probably based more on courage than knowledge.

One thing we definitely underestimated was how dangerous polo can be.

Television viewers often see elegance, beautiful horses, and luxury surroundings. What they do not see is the speed, the impact, and the risks involved. A horse can weigh more than half a ton and move at incredible speed. Players collide, change direction instantly, and fight for position with very little room for error.

We learned quickly that broadcasting polo is not only about cameras and internet connections. It is also about understanding a fast-moving and potentially dangerous environment.

The first broadcast was stressful beyond words.

Nothing seemed to go exactly according to plan. The stream was delayed. Small problems became big problems. Big problems became even bigger problems. Every minute felt like an hour.

At one point, the pressure became so intense that I even ended up in a conflict with the head of the production crew. In a moment of frustration, he threw a piece of equipment in my direction. Fortunately, we can laugh about it today. At the time, however, it was one of those moments where only years of military and wartime experience reminded me that not every battle is worth fighting.

I needed that broadcast!

The reality is that during those first ten days, me and Arslan, COO, barely slept.

When we later added everything together, we estimated that we had probably slept no more than thirty hours in total during that period. We worked during the day, prepared during the night, solved problems whenever they appeared, and repeated the process again the following morning.

Yet somehow, we kept moving forward.

During our ten-day stay in Dubai, we successfully delivered five or six polo broadcasts, covered two press conferences, and secured what would become our first sponsor connected to polo events.

That sponsor was more than a commercial success. Itwas proof that people believed in what we were building.****

What started as a stressful experiment slowly became expertise.

Over time, Buzzer Arena TV evolved into a recognized polo broadcasting partner. We went on to cover events associated with brands such as Bentley, Porsche, and Binance. Our work took us from Miami to Germany and Switzerland, and throughout the wider MENA region.

Today, when I look back at those first days in Dubai, I am honestly amazed by how far we have come.

The experience was difficult, exhausting, and at times chaotic. There were moments when failure felt much closer than success.

But those experiences became the foundation of everything that followed.

People often talk about success as if it appears overnight. Our story was different. It was built through long nights, mistakes, pressure, uncertainty, and a willingness to learn something completely new.

The lesson is simple.

You do not need to know everything before you begin.

Sometimes you just need the courage to start, the discipline to keep going, and the resilience to survive the difficult days that inevitably come.

Hard work pays off.

For me, Buzzer is proof of that.