Shandur Polo Festival
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Shandur invites visitors to experience a traditional </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">polo</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "> tournament which since 1936 has been held annually </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">in the first week of July between the teams of </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Gilgit-Baltistan</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "> and </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Chitral</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">. The tournament is held on Shandur Top, the highest polo ground in the world at 3,700 meters (the pass itself is at 3,800 meters). The festival also includes </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Folk music</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">, dancing and a camping </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">village</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "> is set up. The polo tournament is featured in the first episode of </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Himalaya with Michael Palin</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Various teams of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral have always played the game of polo closest to its original form. In the past, the British Rulers were the patrons of the game. game</span><span style="line-height: 10.816666603088379px;">.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Freestyled mountain polo is arguably polo in its purest form. This version of the game played at Shandur-Top has attained legendary status and is of great interest to international and domestic adventure tourists alike. There are no umpires and there are no holds barred. The rules are: There are no rules! In "The Roof of the World" Amin/Willets/Tetley write: "by comparison, an American Wild West rodeo might pass for choir practice." As one player once mentioned: "You can ride head-on into the opponent, if you dare."</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">In order to decide the final teams to play at the Shandur Polo Festival preliminary matches are played both in </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Gilgit</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "> and </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Chitral</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "> in which the best horses and players are chosen for the final games by the local juries. The festival begins on the 7th of July with a polo match between the local teams of Ghizer Gilgit-Baltistan with the guest teams coming from Chitral(KPK). During the course of the tournament A, B, C and D teams of </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Gilgit</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "> and </span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">Chitral</span></span><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "> battle it out on the polo field. Each team has six members with 2-4 reserve players in case of injury etc. The match duration is usually one hour. It is divided into two halves, with a 10 minutes interval. During intervals the locals enthrall the audiences with traditional and cultural performances. The game decided in favour of the team scoring nine goals. The final is held on 9 July.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; ">The field measures about 200 meters by 56 meters (normal polo field is about 270m by 150m), with 60 cm high stone walls running the length of the field on both sides instead of boards. As six players make up one side, the field can get fairly crowded. This has the advantage of slightly slowing down the pace, which, all things considered, is probably somewhat safety-enhancing. Players rarely wear helmets, many do not wear boots. The horses' legs often have no bandages, and mallets often have no grips or straps.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><u><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><strong style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; "><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day 01</span></strong></span></u></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Arrival in Islamabad and transfer to NATCO for travel to Gilgit</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><u><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><strong><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day 02</span></strong></span></u></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Arrive in Gilgit and transfer to hotel. Evening free.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><u><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><strong><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day 03</span></strong></span></u></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Drive for Phandar valley. Stay in Tents.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><u><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><strong><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day 04</span></strong></span></span></span></u></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Drive for Shandur. Evening free.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><u><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><strong><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day 05</span></strong></span></span></span></u></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day free for Shandur Polo Festival.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><u><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><strong><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day 06</span></strong></span></span></span></u></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day free for Shandur Polo Festival.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><u><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><strong><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Day 07</span></strong></span></span></span></u></p> <p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Tahoma; "><span style="line-height: 13px; ">Drive back to Gilgit and arrive in Gilgit. </span></span></span></p>
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