CHITRAL (Bashir Hussain Azad) – Prominent community leaders and polo players from Laspur, Upper Chitral, have expressed strong outrage over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s recent announcement of cash prizes for teams of Shandur Polo Festival 2025, completely ignoring teams belonging to Laspur despite their outstanding performances.
In a strongly worded joint statement, Chairman VC Sor Laspur Subedar (r) Wazir Khan, Chairman VC Harchin Subedar (r) Sher Azam and senior polo players Israr Ali Shah, Anwar Ali Shah and Noorul Islam condemned the omission, calling it \”blatant discrimination and political favoritism.\”
They alleged that the move was part of a deliberate conspiracy by political figures Surayya Bibi, Fateh-ul-Mulk and Sikandar-ul-Mulk, aimed at sidelining Laspur’s successful players from recognition and reward.
Laspur Polo Teams Repeatedly Victorious at Shandur
The Laspur representatives highlighted that their two teams had consistently secured victories in their matches at the annual Shandur Polo Festival, which is known globally as the “world’s highest altitude polo tournament.” Despite this, the Chief Minister awarded Rs1.2 million per player to the Chitral A team, Rs500,000 each to Chitral B, C and D teams, but no mention or reward was made for Laspur’s two winning teams.
Demand for Fair Recognition
They demanded that sports in Chitral, especially traditional games like polo, be kept free from political interference, and that the winning Laspur players be given their rightful recognition and cash awards.
Political Bias Undermining Chitrali Sports
Community members warned that political manipulation in sports not only harms deserving athletes but also damages the integrity of events like the Shandur Polo Festival, which draw national and international attention.