CHITRAL: The tour operators and people here have urged the government to take steps for organising polo tournaments regularly in different parts of Chitral to attract tourists and boost the local economy.

Talking to this correspondent, they said that the lack of proper official patronage to organise polo events could affect the local tourism sector as the tourists coming to Chitral always wanted to watch polo matches.

Those associated with the tourism industry in Chitral said that the tourists coming to Chitral showed resentment when told that there was no polo match in their tour itinerary.

Abdur Razzaq, managing director of Tirich Mir Tours, told this correspondent that a number of foreign groups intending to visit Chitral diverted to Gilgit-Baltistan where polo was still a popular game and there were polo grounds in almost every village.

He said that polo had been the most popular game in Chitral till 1970s and the former rulers of the area would patronise it and there was hardly any village which was without a polo ground.

Tour operators say tourists expect to see polo matches during their stay

“The former rulers had helped the people in different valleys to raise horses to use them in the war times while during peace days the horses were used for playing polo and some of the princes of 18th century are still known as accomplished players of polo,” he said.

Mr Razzaq said that the folk literature of Chitral was replete with the description of polo and horse riding while the hero and villain in every folk story were accomplished polo players and riders.

The game of polo received a setback in 1980s when the people found it an unaffordable economic burden to raise horses. The people encroached most of the polo grounds in different villages in 1980s due to the government’s indifference and this gave a deadly blow to the game.

Arshad Ali, a tour operator, said that at present polo was played only in Chitral town while the eco-tourists expected polo show in every village.

He said that the commencement of Shandur Polo Festival in 1985 as annual event had greatly helped in promotion of tourism in both Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan as the tour operators advertised it to attract tourists.

The local people and tour operators have urged the government remove encroachments from the polo grounds and encourage the polo players by giving them special allowance so they could raise their horses.

Zafar Ali Shah, a polo player of 1990s, said that the game was salvaged to some extent by Chitral Scouts as it extended all possible backing to it by raising horses and maintaining some polo teams and employing a good number of players in the force.

He said that the polo teams of Chitral Scouts always included some of the famous players of the area.

He said that the Chitral police and Chitral Levies had lately also started patronising the game by raising horses and employing players in its polo teams.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2016