Teams from Afghanistan, Turkey and China also competed in the tournament for the first time.
This weekend, horses kicked up some dust and a lot of excitement at Fatima Jinnah Park. The Sports and Culture directorate of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) organised a two-day tent pegging contest at the park, which culminated on Saturday.
Tent pegging, an equestrian sport popular in South Asia and the Middle East, involves a competitor riding a horse, who gallops towards a ground target, such as a peg, to pick it up using a lance or a sword, according to the International Tent Pegging Federation.
Over 600 horsemen from 28 tent pegging clubs from Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir participated in the event, according to CDA. Teams from Afghanistan, Turkey and China also competed in the tournament for the first time.
CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal distributed prizes among the competition winners at the closing ceremony on Saturday. “Tent pegging is a traditional sport of Pakistan and the daring competitors challenged each other with great skill.” Sports activities leave a positive impact on society and the CDA will work to provide more opportunities for sports and recreational activities to Islamabad residents,” he added.
Malik Ramzan of Al Khayam Mashhadi Mehervi Ideal Club won the first position in the single horseman category, Mahar Nasir Ali Sipra of the Lyallpur Club secured second position and Raja Mukhtar Hussain of Al-Haider Club got third place.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2014.
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