The three-day Shandur Polo Festival 2023 will take place from July 7 to 9 with participants from various parts of the country.
Shandur Polo Festival is celebrated by the tribes of Gilgit and Chitral in the northern parts of the country.
The tribes from the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral meet at the Shandur pass every summer.
The pass has a beautiful polo ground where unique wild free-style polo is played among different teams of the region.
Shandur Polo Ground is considered to be the highest polo ground in the world at 3,700 meters. The polo ground is adjacent to Shandur Lake.
The festival provides an amazing cultural experience in the Hindukush mountain ranges.
Last year, Chitral defeated Gilgit-Baltistan on the last day of the annual Shandur Polo Festival to clinch the trophy.
According to hindukushheights.com, Chitral and Gilgit have always played the game of polo closest to its original form. Each team has six players with two halves of 25 minutes each along with a 10-minute interval. Only one polo pony is permitted per player, and if a player or pony leaves the field injured, the opposing team also reduces its strength by one player. A fresh polo pony may not be introduced into the game, as that will prove to be a distinct advantage.
The field measures about 200 meters by 56 meters, as compared to a normal polo field of 270m by 150m, with 60 cm high stone walls running the length of the field on both sides instead of boards.
In order to decide the final teams to play at the Shandur Polo Festival, preliminary matches are played both in Chitral and Gilgit. The best horses and players are chosen for the final games by the local juries after the preliminary matches.