Better late than never: Shandur Polo Festival expected to be held later this month

The three-day event was initially postponed indefinitely following widespread flooding.

GILGIT:

The much awaited three-day Shandur Polo Festival may finally take place this month as Chitral’s administration has proposed new dates to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government.

“The proposed dates are August 24, 25 and 26,” Zafar Taj, a senior government official in Gilgit said on Thursday. “But the dates will be formally communicated once they are finalised at their (K-P government) end.”

The festival, which is usually held in July, was postponed indefinitely due to widespread flooding. Roads near the tributaries of Ghizer River were swept away while a stretch of the road linking Gilgit to Shandur was submerged in water.

The floods not only suspended the flow of traffic but also cut off more than 20,000 people living in upstream valleys of Ghizer for over a month. The festival was then put off for a later date upon the G-B government’s request.

In mid-July, Ghizer Valley’s deputy commissioner proposed August 20-22 to K-P. Taj said the organisers first visited Shandur Top to assess if the ground was suitable for a sport that is played at 3,700 metres.

Taj maintained G-B believed the revised dates will be suitable as there is enough water in the channels to cater to the needs of thousands of spectators who attend the festival each year.

Shandur is known as the ‘world’s highest polo ground’ where teams of G-B and Chitral have played the game in its original form since the early 20th century. Attractions include folk music, dance and a camping village.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2013.