Polo on the “Roof of the World”
Polo is not just a sport of the northern areas of Pakistan it is a way of life in such areas. Polo is played extensively in the northern parts of the country that comprise of Chitral, Gilgit, Rondu, Shigar, Skardu, Kahplu, Chilm and Astore. Polo is played
there in its real form, which has not evolved with time.
The history of this game commenced from the sixth century BC from Central Asia where it had been played for training army fighting troops, which was played in a battle style where more than hundred players played from both sides.
The game travelled to Persia from Central Asia and became so famous with the Persians that they adopted it as their National Game. From there, the game moved forward towards Arabia, Japan, Tibet and China.
Polo reached the northern areas of Pakistan from neighboring Central Asian states, between the villages and states of Gilgit, Chitral and Tibet. It had not been only played as a form of entertainment but also for resolving disputes between the local tribes.
The team which lost the match had to change its stance in the clash.
Polo traditionally was played between two opponent teams of the region representing different parts of the northern belt of the country. Gilgit and Chitral played matches on the green plain fields of the highest polo ground of the World in Shandur.
Shandur is located at a height of about 3738 meters above sea level. Among the four mountain passes to enter Chitral valley one is Shandur pass. It links the Chitral valley to the Gilgit areas and enjoys the protection of three of the highest mountain ranges
in the World the Himalayas, Hindukush and Karakorum.
This pass is open for only 6 months in a year starting from late April to mid-October. Shandur pass has the World’s finest plains at high altitude with beautiful lakes.
Shandur is also known as the “roof of the World” located in the limits of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan at 72’ 35 east longitude and 36’ 06’ north latitude on the globe. Shandur is 147 km away from the area of Chitral and 211 km from Gilgit district,
which is also the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan. This area can only be visited in the summer season.
Some history writers inked that the 1920’s ruler of Mastuj, the area between Chitral and Gilgit had been given an order by the king to augment interaction with people using Polo.
Mastuj’s ruler commenced a tournament of Polo between various areas under his supervision in Shandur. Some credit goes to British army Colonel Evelyn Hey Cobb, who first started Polo in this area in 1936 with an attempt to fulfill his dream of playing Polo
in full moon light.
One school of thought states Polo travelled to Shandur from Central Asia and Persia, where Genghis Khan used to play it with the heads goats, sheep and even sometimes with the heads of conquered forces.
Free style Polo game is being played in Shandur every year in the first week of July where arch rivals Chitral and Gilgit played with each other. Six players are on each team with two to three extras in case of injury. Here polo is played with no rules.
However, there are some conventions that exist. The time of the game is comprised of one hour and ten minutes including a break of ten minutes as one half is of 30 minutes.
The Shandur Polo festival has become a culture event of the area as thousands of visitors from inside Pakistan and other countries come to celebrate this event. A tents village is organized by local authorities where lots of other cultural activities, including
barbeques, music and dance are held during the three-day festival.
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