GILGIT/CHITRAL: After more than a decade, the polo team of Gilgit-Baltistan lifted the Shandur Polo Festival title by defeating their Chitral rivals by one goal in an intense match that lasted almost an hour in the highest polo ground in the world.

In the first minute, Chitral captain Izhar Ali Khan scored the first goal, followed by another goal by his teammate Nasirullah. By the 9th minute, GB equalled the score with two successive goals.

By the end of the first half, Chitral was ahead 5-4. In the last minute, GB’s Zulfiqar scored a crucial equaliser and then netted the winning goal to lead his team to triumph after 15 years. The final score was 6-5.

Arbab Quli of Chitral missed more than five chances, while Saddam Raji of GB played a leading role in the success of his team, who was given the man of the match award.

During the match, two GB players were injured and exited the match. As a result, both teams played with four players each during the second half. Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Umar Ahmed Bukhari awarded the trophy to the winning team and prizes to the players.

Chitral has won 17 titles, while Gilgit-Baltistan has secured 14 championships.

A large number of tourists, both from different parts of the country as well as from abroad, had thronged Shandur to enjoy the free-style polo, while about 30,000 fans from Chitral and GB were also present. The Shandur polo festival is organised annually in June and July by the Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments.

The other activities in the festival also showcase the rich cultural heritage of the region through vibrant cultural performances, music shows, paragliding displays, and angling competitions.

An official of the GB tourism department told Dawn that the Shandur Polo Festival has become an attraction for national and international tourists, and it has been organised since 1982. However, the festival couldn’t be organised in 1999 owing to the Kargil War between Pakistan and India.

In 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, Gilgit-Baltistan boycotted the event, and in 2020 and 2021, it couldn’t be organised due to Covid-19, and in 2024 it was cancelled.

The area of Shandur is a disputed territory between Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan; the ownership claims of both governments are under consideration by a provincial boundary commission.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2026