TAXILA, May 21: Hundreds of enthusiasts from as far as Balochistan turned up at Badhana, about 15 kilometres from here, to witness the thrilling and adventurous annual tent pegging held there.

Teams from Sargodha, Pindigheb and other parts of the country participated in the event.

Famous rider Malik Fateh Khan and Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Mohammad Aslam Khan Raisani were also present on the occasion. The players presented their excellent horsemanship skills by picking up the pegs with amazing accuracy with their horses at galloping speed. They were gripped with the thrilling spectacle of the combined effort of the man and the animal.

In Punjab, tent pegging is more of an exhibition than a game. Well-bred horses are brought to the ground with a profound sense of pride. The tent peggers were wearing turbans whose colours identified their teams.

Their arrival in the arena was marked with great pomp and show. Drums, trumpets and flutes were played when they entered the field.

In tenet pigging competition, a rider carrying a lance on a galloping horse attempts to pull out a grounded wooden peg. If he successfully carries that peg beyond a 10 feet line from the point of strike, he gets four points and moves to the final round.

If the peg drops before crossing the line, the tent pegger gets two points and another chance to strike. But if he fails to pull out the peg, he drops from the game. Group competitions also take place.

Sections of four and sometimes eight tent peggers attempt to pull the pegs simultaneously.

The event was organised by Malik Ehsan, a landlord of the area. He said tent pegging was one of the most thrilling and adventurous folk sports. Like polo, it is the game of the warriors, believed to have its origins back in the fourth century BC in Asia, with European aristocracy later spreading it globally. Tent pegging is played with teams as well as individually. It is one of the most popular equestrian sports and was particularly popular in the subcontinent till the post-Second World War period.

Malik Ihsan, one of the organisers, said a lot of tournaments, almost all on self-finance basis, were held in the province throughout the year with teams and players turning up for each event in great numbers. Since centuries, tent pegging has been an integral part of cultural celebrations in Punjab.

A game in vogue since times of Alexander, tent pegging has also been a war technique before the advent of modern weaponry.

Later, it flourished as Sikh Gurus formed their army of Nahang Warriors, and much later as a major equestrian sport with its ramifications such as show jumping, lemon cutting and other feats of cavalry during the British era.

After independence, tent pegging emerged as a prime sports and cultural activity and acclaimed popularity among horse lovers. He said the game came under clouds because of lack of state patronage which ultimately diversified to more glitzy and glamorous games like cricket and squash. Public interest in the cities thus diverted to these games of glamour. However, landlords, bourgeoisie and the rural folk kept the game alive. Funds were provided by them, horses reared, playfields maintained and tent peggers encouraged participating; who were paid sufficient amounts to go on gracefully with the game.

This has kept the centuries-old game of tent pegging still alive.