Shandur Situated at the elevation of 3700m above sea level invites visitors to experience a traditional polo tournament which since 1936 has been held annually in the first week of July between the teams of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. The tournament is held on Shandur Top, the highest polo ground in the world at 3,700 meters (the pass itself is at 3,800 meters). The festival also includes Folk music, dancing and a camping village is set up. Various teams of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral have always played the game of polo closest to its original form.
In order to decide the final teams to play at the Shandur Polo Festival preliminary matches are played both in Gilgit and Chitral in which the best horses and players are chosen for the final games by the local juries. The festival begins on the 7th of July with a polo match between the local Laspur Team and Ghizer Team of Gilgit-Baltistan, from Chitral. During the course of the tournament A, B, C and D teams of Gilgit and Chitral battle it out on the polo field. Each team has six members with 2-4 reserve players in case of injury etc. The match duration is usually one hour. It is divided into two halves, with a 10 minutes interval. During intervals the locals enthrall the audiences with traditional and cultural performances. The game decided in favor of the team scoring nine goals. The final is held on 9 July. The festival also includes folk Music, folk Dances, traditional sports and temporary tent village is setup at the pass to cater the needs.
Polo the Game of Kings, and the king of all games are traditionally played in the Northern areas of Pakistan and Chitral for over the centuries, it has been played between the small kingdoms, villages and rival groups for the deciding of the disputes among them, and the losing team has to be lost of the land, territory, or pay the heavy fine and some times death punishment. the free style polo game have been practicing for the centuries between the traditional rival teams of Gilgit and Chitral each summer month of July on the Shandur pass (3734 meters) the highest polo field in the world. a three days polo tournament organized by the Gilgit and Chitral polo clubs and local administration. during the polo tournament you sleep on the comfortable two person tents with facilities of a mess and toilet tents. your cook will prepare the hearty and delicious meals for you every day.
The field measures about 200 meters by 56 meters (normal polo field is about 270m by 150m), with 60 cm high stone walls running the length of the field on both sides instead of boards. As six players make up one side, the field can get fairly crowded. This has the advantage of slightly slowing down the pace, which, all things considered, is probably somewhat safety-enhancing. Players rarely wear helmets, The horses` legs often have no bandages, and mallets often have no grips or straps.
