It was a real treat to watch on television the most exciting and spirited freestyle polo match played between the traditional rival teams, i.e. Chitral A and GB A at Shandur Polo ground, the highest polo ground in the world located at an altitude of 12,250 ft.
Both the teams displayed exemplary feat of agility and spirit of sportsmanship which was very much expected out of them.
My special praise goes to GB team for evincing consummate skill and ingenuity, and putting up a determined and tough fight. It was a neck and neck competition between the two traditional rivals and looked a repeat of the match played between the two teams in 2019.
As always, this time too the number of spectators was overwhelming despite the pathetic condition of Booni-Shandur road which has remained an unfinished project for the last three decades.
Organizers of the festival deserve congratulations and accolade. Organizing such a mega event that too at a far-flung place situated at such a high altitude is no mean feat at all. Lot of hard toil consuming days and nights and resources of unimaginable magnitude seem to have gone into it.
In sports, it doesn\’t matter who wins and who loses as victory and defeat are part of the game. What really matters is the sportsman spirit displayed by the players, and it\’s heartening to see both the teams conducting themselves gracefully and evincing a reasonably good standard of discipline, sportsmanship and professionalism. Here it reminds me of a famous English saying which goes:
“It doesn\’t matter what happens to you, but it does matter how you behave while it\’s happening to you\”.
GB team made a last ditch attempt to give tough time to Chitral team in the twilight moments of the match but couldn’t succeed due to the tough fight put up by the rival team determined to jealously defend the title and also due to a fairly wide margin of the scores. It made several fatal attacks during the match thus putting Chitral team on the defensive for a short while.
From the spectators’ gestures which could be clearly seen even by those watching the match on television, it looked as if they were feeling a distinct sense of déjà vu, and carried the impression that GB team was likely to clinch the coveted winner\’s trophy, but the rival team was intent on not to give in and fight back against all odds.
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Though GB team lost the match to Chitral by two goals, yet they proved beyond any doubt that they are the doughty fighters who have the ability to turn the tables on their opponent anytime.
Coming to poor communication infrastructure in Chitral, it makes one\’s blood boiled to see the dilapidated condition of the lone road leading to Shandur and onwards to GB. it\’s pertinent to mention here that the tourists and sports lovers both domestic as well as foreign faced lot of hardships this time to make it to Shandur because of pathetic condition of the main and the only road leading to Shandur from Chitral.
They faced a rough and tough time, particularly from Booni to Shandur which is enough to deter the tourists from traversing on such a rough and bumpy road.
This is a clear testimony to the apathetic attitude of both the federal and the provincial government of KPK. It\’s a perennial issue that remains to be resolved and which makes not only the tourists but also the hapless local commuters suffer badly round the year.
It’s a clarion call to concerned authorities to wake up from the deep slumber, pull up their socks and pay attention to the chronic issue and improve the communication infrastructure without wasting further time.
The government needs to understand that Chitral has tremendous potential for tourism that can fetch a handsome revenue to national kitty if communication infrastructure is improved and necessary facilities are put in place at main tourist destinations like Shandur, Garam Chasma, Birmogh Lasht, Kalash valley and many more.
In order to promote tourism in the area and attract domestic as well as foreign tourists, there is a need to provide all required facilities such as hotels and tourist resorts duly equipped with necessary paraphernalia at important tourist destinations as mentioned earlier.
Lastly, organizers of the festival are requested to make necessary arrangements for the disposal of tons of wastes and litters spread around and save the natural environment from ecological disaster.