POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
Pakistan After centuries, polo thrives in some areas By Atif khan
The Shandur Polo Festival is played at Shandur Pass, above 12,000 feet. Tourists flock to the area to watch polo in its rawest form.
Picture the clap of hooves and the thwack of ball against mallet in the moonlight, a distant drumbeat echoing off the icy Karakorams. This is the picture painted by the poets and historians of the region where polo originated. Sit around a bonfire or trek through the mountains of north Pakistan, and locals will tell you amazing tales of how their ancestors played polo to celebrate births, marriages and conquests. Pakistan is doing wonderful things in and around its polo fields even today. During their years in South Asia, the British picked up the sport and when they departed in 1947, they left behind some of the finest polo fields. These were the fields where local royalty, landowners and the British Brass once mingled—and they remain meticulously maintained by Pakistanis
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today. Recently, new fields and clubs have been added in and around major Pakistani cities to cater for the growing demand of new players. Lahore, a historic city in Central Punjab is considered the hub of polo. Top-rated tournaments are held at three playing fields of Lahore Polo Club (established 1886). Recently, seven more fields have been added to the city to bring the total number to 10! The most noticeable and promising amongst these is the three-field complex of Lahore Garrison and Country Club. With three international standard fields, plush stables for over 200 and club facilities, including an equine swimming pool, the venue is a dream for professional and amateur players alike. Additional fields at Pakistan Park and Fortress
