Bashir Hussain Azad
CHITRAL: Office-bearers of the Indigenous Polo Association Lower Chitral have clarified that the polo association recently notified by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) represents teams and players participating in government-sponsored polo, and has no connection with civilian polo players and teams.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Indigenous Polo Association General Secretary Khalil-ur-Rehman Advocate, Finance Secretary Mustafeez-ur-Rehman, senior polo player Colonel (retd.) Shehzada Sharifuddin, and other office-bearers and players said their association was the sole representative platform for civilian polo players in Chitral.
They said the association had a duly elected body and was working to promote polo as a traditional and cultural sport of Chitral.
The speakers said Shehzada Sikandar-ul-Mulk is the association’s president and has been elected to the position several times through a democratic process.
They added that a recent meeting attended by around 55 prominent polo players and association members from Chitral Town, Lotkoh and Birmogh Lasht unanimously reaffirmed that the Indigenous Polo Association is an independent organization with no affiliation with the polo body notified by KPCTA.
The association’s representatives and senior players welcomed the decision by the Corps Commander Peshawar, Inspector General Frontier Corps (FC) and Commandant Chitral Scouts to support the government-notified polo association. They said the officials could play a positive role in promoting and developing polo in the region.
At the same time, they stressed that the rights of civilian polo players, their representative platform and the autonomy of Chitral’s traditional Indigenous Polo Association should be protected.
The association called for an inclusive approach involving all relevant stakeholders in efforts to promote polo, saying such cooperation would help further develop Chitral’s traditional sport.