Provincial Minister for Sports Syed Aqil Shah on Sunday informed that Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti had formally invited the newly-wed royal couple Prince William and Princess Kate (Duke & Duchess of Cambridge) to witness the final of the Shandur Polo Tournament on July 9, 2011.
The move to invite the royal couple to Shandur this year was initiated by Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) to promote the region and to put it in the news internationally for something heart-warming and positive. Teams from Gilgit have confirmed participation in the upcoming Shandur Polo Festival scheduled on July 7- 9, 2011.
He said the Chief Minister on behalf of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wrote a letter to the Royal Highnesses. In the letter, he said, “Your Highnesses, the connection of the Royal Family of Britain with Chitral and polo goes back many years. In 1997 the HRH Duke of Edinburgh flew into Chitral especially to witness a polo match and give away the Duke of Edinburgh cup which still adorns the reception counter of a local hotel. Chitral warmly welcomed HRH Princess Diana in 1991. The people of Chitral have fond memories of that day. I hope that Your Highnesses will be able to grace this polo cup final. It will help foster relations between our countries and we await with anticipation your response. May your days be joyous and healthy in the months and years to come.” Shandur is the highest polo field on earth. Shandur Pass which is one of the most peaceful and serene areas of Pakistan is situated near the border of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces at a distance of 147km from Chitral and 212km from Gilgit. The pass not only connects Gilgit and Chitral but also offers one of the world’s most interesting and attractive sports annually with freestyle mountain polo. The exhilarating game is played on the ‘Roof of the World’, about 12500 feet above sea level approx, where the Hindukush, Pamir and Karakoram ranges meet.
Chitral is the original birthplace of the sport of polo and the rugged mountain version is unarguably polo in its purest form. This version of the game played at Shandur has attained legendary status and is of great interest to international and domestic adventure tourists alike. There are no umpires and there are no holds barred. Played in its original devil-may-care manner, the rules are: There are no rules. The game is inscribed in tradition that predates history.
UK royal couple invited to Shandur
