The great polo face off

Jashan-e-Chitral came to an end on Thursday after a 10-day run which attracted visitors from all walks of life.

‘Dare to achieve your desired destination’ was the theme of the event organised by the Chitral Administration and Chitral Scouts.

According to Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Managing Director Tariq Jamil, the decision to hold the festival in Chitral was taken after the Shandur Polo Tournament was cancelled. Many were unhappy as for the first time in many years the Shandur Polo Tournament could not be celebrated in the wake of floods and militancy.

While many sports were showcased including football, cricket, tug of war and buz kasha, the main attraction of the festival was the polo match between the Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral teams. The Chitral team won the high-risk game 12-1.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2013.