Sports and recreation: Rama Polo Festival to be held this month

To take place in Astore valley from September 10 to 12.

GILGIT:

To make up for the Shandur Polo Festival which was earlier cancelled due to the recent floods, the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government plans to hold the Rama Polo Festival in September.

The festival is scheduled to be held from September 10 to 12 in Rama, a tourist hotspot in the scenic Astore valley, about 110 kilometres from Gilgit.

“Hopefully it will be a success,” said Adviser to Chief Minister on Tourism Sadia Danish on Saturday. “We have to work particularly hard to make it a success especially in the wake of Shandur Polo Festival’s cancellation.”

The Shandur festival was cancelled after both G-B and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governments mutually decided not to hold the event this year. The decision was made in light of the damage caused by monsoon rains and security concerns. The festival, which is usually held in the first week of July, was postponed twice before being scrapped altogether.

To the management’s surprise, women also attended last year’s Rama Polo Festival. In light of this, special arrangements have been made for them this year. “The management has allocated a separate pavilion for women to sit in and enjoy the matches,” said Danish.

Amidst traditional drumbeats, a special polo match involving donkeys will be played between two local teams. Eight polo teams from G-B will be participating in the competition and host district Astore will be allowed to field two teams.

In addition, a Meena Bazaar will also be set up in Rama, allowing local women to display and exhibit traditional handicraft. Danish believes the turnout will be high and that tourists from G-B and other parts of Pakistan will be attending.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2013.