Traditional sports pull crowds in Haripur

Festival will also feature bull-race, dog and rabbit races and tent-pegging contests

HARIPUR:

The thrilling Kabbadi competitions started in district Haripur on Saturday. Four teams from District Haripur are taking part in the contest.

The contest is being organised in connection with the traditional games organised by the Directorate General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After an interesting contest, in the opening match the team of Tehsil Ghazi recorded a thumping victory against Tarbela in a hotly contested encounter at 45-42 points. Tehsil Ghazi players were in great form thumping their superiority in all fields by racing up to victory.

The two teams were tied on many occasions as there was a point to point fight that largely generated thrilling for the hundreds and thousands of spectators who witnessed the Traditional Kabaddi event organized in collaboration of district administration and district sports officer Haripur.

After the thrilling first match, another thrilling contest was witnessed among the teams of Tehsil Paniaki and Attar wherein Tehsil Paniaki recorded victory with a close contest at 37-31. The match also produced great thrills and despite having the support of the cheering spectators, the Attar team Tehsil Paniaki won the match.

Deputy Director Operations Jamshed Baloch said that traditional games like Bull Race, Dog Rabbit Race and Niza Bazi competitions will be played with a handsome participation of the players from all across Haripur District. He added that efforts are being made to keep the traditional games alive. Kabaddi is being played in all districts and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including merged tribal areas that are full of Kabaddi game talent.

Baloch said that Pakistan has a name in Kabaddi at the world level and is considered the top team of the world by playing World Cup.

Deputy Director Operations Jamshed Baloch was the special guest on this occasion. Besides him, Chief Coach Shafqatullah, DSO Faisal Javed, Administrative Officer Irshad Khan, Provincial Kabaddi Association Secretary Sultan Bari, District Youth Officer Fahim Khan, District Kabaddi Association Secretary Saeed Khan and many others were present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2022.