Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The three-day polo festival will kick off in Shandur, the world’s highest polo ground in Chitral on July 22.

The decision was taken at a meeting held on Monday and was chaired by Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) Managing Director Mushtaq Ahmed Khan. Admin General Manager Sajjad Hameed, Tourist Information Centres (TICs) General Manager Muhammad Ali Syed, Chief Planning Officer Hayat Ali Shah and other officials attended the meeting.

TCKP managing director addressed the meeting and said that the dates for the Shandur Polo Festival were changed to ensure participation of all the teams in the grand sports gala. He said it was impossible for the polo teams to reach the venue along with their horses and do some practice prior the start of the game soon after Eidul Fitr in such a short time.

The official added that the three-day polo festival would now kick off from July 22 and will be concluded on July 24. The event has been regularly held each year from July 7 to 9 but this year Eidul Fitr is likely to fall on those dates due to which the schedule was changed. The game has got international fame of being played at the highest polo ground of the world at Shandur Pass in Chitral.

The provincial government through finance department provides funds to TCKP for arrangements for the event, which are released to the district administration of Chitral. The role of TCKP is that of a catalyst for promoting the festival through publicity campaign and it also establishes a tented village, tourism information centre and stalls during the event.

It also provides boarding and lodging facilities for both foreign and domestic tourists. As Chitral is the most peaceful region, it attracts thousands of domestic and international tourists annually, especially during the Shandur and Kalash festivals.

This year, the number of foreign and domestic tourists will be great as compared to the previous years as peace has been restored in the province and the condition of acquiring non objection certificate (NOC) for the international visitors and tourists had been withdrawn. Foreign tourists can now visit the event and other scenic spots in any part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa if they just possess a tourist visa.