Bashir Hussain Azad
CHITRAL: Polo players have welcomed the restructuring of the Lower Chitral Polo Association by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority, saying government patronage will help secure the future of the sport in the region.
Speaking at a press conference, elected association member Muizuddin Behram and veteran members Altaf Ali Shah, Sikandar Khan and Haleem said the restructuring and new organizational structure would create fresh opportunities for the development of polo in Chitral.
Former Chitral polo team captain Zafar Ali Shah, Maqbool Ali Khan, polo coach Aftab Alam Khan and prominent player Ali Quli Khan also attended the press conference.
The players said polo enthusiasts had long demanded formal government support for the sport so that it could be promoted on a permanent and organized basis in Chitral.
They welcomed the provincial government’s decision and rejected what they described as unnecessary attempts to create divisions between civilian and government players. They said a player’s identity should be based on the sport, regardless of whether they represent a security forces team or a village team.
The association representatives also rejected concerns that the new structure would concentrate authority in a few hands or leave players without a forum to raise their issues.
They said elected representatives would be able to participate in meetings with relevant officials, including the Chitral Scouts commandant, deputy commissioner, Corps Commander Peshawar and secretary of Culture and Tourism.
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They said Shahzada Sikandar-ul-Mulk had served as president of the Polo Association for several decades, but the division of Chitral into Upper and Lower districts had naturally led to an administrative restructuring of the polo association. They added that his domicile in Upper Chitral meant he no longer had a direct administrative connection with the Lower Chitral association.
The association officials and prominent players thanked Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Umar Ahmed Bukhari for taking a special interest in promoting polo in Chitral and expressed hope that government patronage and support for the sport would continue.