The Magic at Shandoor

Saifudin Ismail Ji

Publishing Date: Tuesday, March 1 2005

In the first century BC when polo was invented in Central Asia, kings probably judged the skills of their horsemen by watching them battle with the opponent's team to wrest the "polo" - ball in the local language - from them. There was no limit to the number of players in each team. It could be as high as one hundred. There were no rules. The objective was to get the "polo" across to the other end of the field.

What a sight it must have been! Truly, a mini-battle. Introduced to the West, by some accounts, by Marco Polo, it is said that he was so impressed with the game that he continued to recount the polo match stories to his countrymen in Venice for a long time after his return from travels on the Silk Route into China via the Central Asia.

Today, polo is played in all its genuine alacrity on the high grounds of the Shindur Top, at 12,200 feet. In the bowl shaped valley, surrounded by rugged Karakorams and the Hindu Kush, one end of the polo field touches the blue waters of the tranquil Shindur Lake. The dramatic setting at this high altitude is deliberately chosen for this annual July event because Shindur is located right at the dividing line between the Gilgit and Chitral districts. However, it is always wise to check on the final dates of the event before taking the long unmetalled road up the Shindur pass, as the tournament on occasions had been subject to cancellation at the last minute.

One way to reach Shindur is via Gilgit in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The other, an equally adventurous journey, is to get there from Chitral. During the five-day festival at the annual Shindur polo tournament, polo enthusiasts, mountain lovers, writers, photographers, mountain bikers, hitch-hikers and the general public, converge here to witness the spectacular match between the two finest teams of Gilgit and Chitral.

The temperature in the night often nears the freezing point. It is highly recommended to sign up for orientation before embarking on the journey to Shindur, preferably conducted by professional mountaineers. Warm clothing is necessary even in the day time, when the temperature is fairly warm, to retain the body temperature. Visitors who wear woollen caps throughout the day at high elevation are better off.

The game, more than anything else, demonstrates excellent manoeuvring skills between man and his beast, and how they pursue their target, the ball. The Gilgit players are the traditional hot favourites whirling the "magic sticks", as most of the tournaments are won by them. However, recently the Chitralis seemed to have taken charge of the game and have won a few tournaments, defeating the legendary Gilgitis. This has added to the excitement associated with the tournament.

Sadly, lack of proper initiative on part of the promoters and the media to project this unique sporting event at the roof of the world has failed to get it much recognition from the international polo teams. Otherwise, there is no reason why the Shindur polo event cannot become an international sport festival, to which many world teams could be invited to participate.

How to get there:

Daily flights operate between Islamabad and Gilgit, and Peshawar and Chitral, subject to weather.

Alternate land routes to Gilgit and Chitral can take up to twelve hours. From both Gilgit and Chitral, it's a full-day plus jeep ride to reach the Shindur Top.

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