MINGORA: After being locked down for 21 years, the Kabal Golf Course Kabal in Swat has been re-opened and it will stage its first-ever Open tournament from Thursday.

Swat Deputy Commissioner Imtiaz Hussain said that all arrangements had been completed for the tournament and added that 200 golfers including 27 senior professionals and 54 professionals would participate in tournament.

Addressing a press briefing along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Golf Association secretary retired Col Shahadat, Imtiaz said that the Golf Club Kabal, which was constructed by former governor and son of Wali-i-Swat Mian Gul Aurangzeb in 1964, had hosted many tournaments till 1992.

“Due to militancy and other problems in the area during recent years, no tournament of national level has been held here for the last 21 years,” he said. “But now, the golf club and all of its holes have been restored with the help of army.”

Imtiaz added that the Open tournament will run till Saturday and said that it will help in promoting tourism in the alphine valley. “We want to give a message to the people that Swat is peaceful now and they can come here without any fear” he said.

Col Shahadad, meanwhile, said that the golf course in Kabal was the biggest in the country and hoped that the club would contribute in its role for the promotion of the game as it had done in past.