Game of the Kings – Polo kicks off at the roof of the World
Polo, the king of the games or game of the kings, started out at the roof of the world, as the three-day momentous Shandur Polo Festival kicked off on July 07, 2011 in Chitral. The arch-rival teams of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan will grace the colours of
world’s highest polo arena in the final day of the gala.
Polo is more than a game in the northern region of the country, as it is considered a part of the life. The sport has a long history in the region and played widely in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Skardu, Shigar and Astore. However, it is still played as a
free-style and has not been evolved with modern developments.
The sport originated back in the 6th Century BC, somewhere in Central Asia and was used to train the cavalry regiments of the local army. In that kind of polo, more than 100 players took part and marked goals against each other. The game moved
to other parts of the continent, including Middle and South Eastern countries. It really impressed the people of Northern Areas of Pakistan and they had been largely engaged with king of the games. Interestingly, the sport also used to settle the clashes between
the tribes and states. The loser state or tribe had to accept the view of triumphant one.
With green and white sights, Shandur, the world’s highest polo ground, is located at an altitude of 3738 meters (12,500 feet). There are four passes to enter the valley of Chitral, namely Shandur Pass, Lowari Pass (Dir), Baroghil (Wakhan Cooridor) and Dorah
(Afghanistan). Chitral valley is linked with Gilgit-Baltistan though Shandur Pass, where three ranges of mountain get together. It was the jointer of Karakorum, Hindukush and Pamir mountains.
‘Roof of the World’ is pretty right name for Shandur which is comprised of beautiful lakes, plains, mountains and hayfields. It comes under the jurisdiction of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is 147 Kilometres away from the main town of the Chitral and 212 KM from
Gilgit.
Contrary to the modalities of the game, Shandur Polo is comprised of a free-style game. Each team consists of six players besides the three reserve players who battle for for 60 minutes of two halves. A ten-minute break divides the two 30-minute each half.
According to a polo enthusiast, Shandur Polo Festival started some 200 years ago, while British Royals graced the colours of the event back in 1890. The sports gala was officially organised back in 1914, but cancelled due to First World War. It is commonly
believed that Major Evelyn Cobb, who had been appointed political agent in the area, adopted the event in an organised form. It is worth mentioning here that Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, converted the festival into a Calendar-Event
back in 1989.
Like every year, the traditional polo event started at the roof the world, where local and foreign tourists are donning the colours of festival. A village of different colours of tents has been set up in Shandur to facilitate the visitors. The final game
between arch-rival Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral will be played on July 09, 2011.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: