A game of kirik garr: 10 teams participate in ‘snow golf’ tournament

PESHAWAR:

At least 10 teams are participating in a snow golf tournament organised by locals in Bumboret, Chitral. During the tournament, which began on February 16 and will conclude on February 27, teams will compete in a traditional game of kirik garr, also known as snow golf.

“This is an interesting game; very popular in the region,” Fayaz Ahmad Chitrali, a local, told The Express Tribune over the telephone. He added this was a day-long game with 50 players – 25 members on each team. A large number of tourists visit the region to watch these matches.

According to Chitrali, the game has been played for several generations every February. However, the tournament is often interrupted by harsh weather conditions.  The first match of the tournament was held between Karakar and Kandisar villages. The team from Karakar scored eight goals while Kandisar managed to score six goals.

Although the game is similar to golf, players follow different rules. They are expected to hit a ball made of rubber with a wooden stick and strike a goal. During the course of the game, players are expected to only use their sticks and are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or legs. If a player touches the ball, it will be considered a foul.

This year’s tournament is also being sponsored by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Culture.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th,  2016.