PESHAWAR JULY 29 (TNS): The exciting polo battle between long-standing superior contenders Gilgit and Chitral is all set to begin today (Saturday) on the world’s highest polo ground, situated at 12,500 feet above the sea level in Shandur on the border of Gilgit-Chitral.
The festival, jointly organized by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) governments will continue for three days.
The game polo is Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Gilgit-Baltistan’ shared cultural heritage, and is considered innate among them.
Northern areas of the country have upheld the custom of polo games as uncontaminated as it was a thousand years ago. Polo can be traced back to 3,000 years.
For centuries the menfolk in the country’s distant north have been straddling their stallions, equipping themselves with the lance-like sticks for a game of polo. They sprint down the lush green arenas, pursuing and aggressively attacking the ball with their elongated sticks. In Shandur the game thrives in its old-style grandeur. There is neither rulebook, nor any foul and referee in polo matches. Contestants say all is fair in love, war and polo.
