Two-Day Shandur Polo Festival From July 7

News Desk

Islamabad: The historic and most anticipated Shandur Polo Festival 2023 will be held from July 7 to 9 to entertain the participants coming from various parts of the country at large.

The two-day Polo Festival is an amazing festivity celebrated by the tribes of Gilgit and Chitral in the northern parts of the country. The tribes from these regions meet at the Shandur Pass every summer.

Summer and autumn are considered ideal for exploring the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. The pass has a beautiful polo ground where unique wild free-style polo is used to play among different teams in the region.

Shandur Polo Ground is regarded as the highest polo pitch in the world at 3,700 metres. Shandur Lake is next to the polo field. The festival provides an amazing cultural experience in the Hindukush mountain ranges.

The festival has been celebrated regularly since 1980 and has gained international fame, attracting thousands of local and foreign tourists annually.

Chitral is the most peaceful region and a great tourist destination. Thousands of tourists visit this northern area annually, especially during the Dhandur and Kalash festivals.

The much-awaited annual Shandur Polo Festival commenced on Friday in the picturesque valley of Upper Chitral. The festival was officially inaugurated by Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister on Information.

The event is jointly organized by the Pakistan Army, KP Tourism Authority, and the district administrations of Upper and Lower Chitral. Traditional rivals from Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan are set to compete in a series of thrilling polo matches on Shandur, renowned as the world’s highest polo ground.