European PSK Club • 20th Anniversary Award Programme
The Marco Polo PSK Award (MPPA) was devised by the European PSK Club (EPC) on 19 March 2026 and is dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of the European PSK Club (2006–2026).
The award may be claimed by any licensed radio amateur, club station, or DMS (SWL) eligible under the EPC Awards General Rules who can produce an ADIF log showing contacts with, or monitoring of, amateur radio stations from 10 territories from the Marco Polo List.
- The MPPA may be claimed by any licensed radio amateur, club station, or DMS (SWL) eligible under the EPC Awards General Rules.
- All operation must comply with the station licence and the general EPC award framework.
- The applicant must submit evidence of having contacted or monitored amateur radio stations from at least 10 different territories listed in the MPPA Marco Polo List.
- Each territory counts once toward the qualification total.
- Contacts and SWL receptions must be documented in ADIF format.
- QSOs are valid on any PSK modes and at any baud rates.
- Credit is valid on any amateur radio band below 54 MHz.
- Mixed-band and mixed-mode submissions are permitted.
- Applications should be prepared in accordance with the EPC Awards General Rules.
- The award manager may inspect doubtful entries and request clarification where necessary.
- Unless announced otherwise, the award is issued through the EPC award management environment.
The MPPA is based on the accepted broad outline of Marco Polo’s outward journey from Venice to the court of Kublai Khan and his return by sea and land. In modern geographical terms, that route links Italy, the Levant, Anatolia, Iran, Afghanistan, the Pamir corridor, China, South-East Asia, South Asia, and the Persian Gulf.
For award purposes, these historical roots are translated into a practical modern-territory list suitable for amateur radio operation and logging.
- Italy — origin and final return point at Venice.
- Israel / Holy Land corridor — Acre and Jerusalem formed the Levantine gateway.
- Turkey — Anatolia, Trebizond, and Constantinople linked the westbound and eastbound route.
- Iran — Tabriz, Hormuz, and Khorasan were central to both major legs.
- Afghanistan — Badakhshan formed the approach toward the high Central Asian crossings.
- Tajikistan / Pamir region — represents the Pamir corridor in modern territorial terms.
- Pakistan — included as a probable associated territory through the Chitral-side tradition.
- China — Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Yunnan connect to the Polo narrative.
- Vietnam — coastal leg of the maritime return.
- Malaysia — Malay Peninsula segment of the homeward voyage.
- Indonesia — Sumatra was a notable halt on the return journey.
- Sri Lanka — visited on the Indian Ocean leg.
- India — part of the maritime return corridor before the Persian Gulf approach.
- Myanmar — included as a historically associated extension from the Yunnan mission tradition.
| Amateur Radio Prefix | Territory Name | Explanation | Territory Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| I, IK, IZ | Italy | Starting point at Venice and the final point of return. | MP-ITA |
| 4X, 4Z | Israel | Represents Acre and the Holy Land gateway connected with the journey. | MP-ISR |
| TA, TC, YM | Turkey | Represents Ayas, eastern Anatolia, Trebizond, and Constantinople. | MP-TUR |
| EP, EQ | Iran | Represents Tabriz, Hormuz, and Khorasan. | MP-IRN |
| YA, T6 | Afghanistan | Represents Badakhshan and the eastern approach to the high mountain crossings. | MP-AFG |
| EY | Tajikistan | Represents the Pamir corridor in modern territorial form. | MP-TJK |
| AP, AS | Pakistan | Included as a probable associated territory through the Chitral tradition. | MP-PAK |
| B, BA-BL, BT, BY | China | Represents the main eastern destination of the route. | MP-CHN |
| XV, 3W | Vietnam | Represents the coastal passage on the maritime return from China. | MP-VTN |
| 9M2, 9M4 | Malaysia | Represents the Malay Peninsula sector of the return voyage. | MP-MYS |
| YB, YC, YE | Indonesia | Represents Sumatra, a notable halt of the expedition. | MP-IDN |
| 4S | Sri Lanka | Represents the Ceylon stage of the Indian Ocean leg. | MP-LKA |
| VU, AT | India | Represents the Indian Ocean trade zone touched during the homeward passage. | MP-IND |
| XZ | Myanmar | Included as a historically associated extension from the Yunnan mission tradition. | MP-MMR |
