Defending champions Chitral won the Shandur Polo Festival by beating Gilgit 7-5 on Sunday.
Chitral were leading 3-1 at half-time and went on to extend their advantage to 4-1 in the second half. However, Gilgit made an impressive comeback with two quick goals to make the match interesting.
Gilgit came close to levelling the match on numerous occasions but Chitral held their nerve to win the match 7-5. The three-day event took place from July 7 to 9 at the Shandur Top played between the teams of Gilgit-Baltistan Districts and Chitral District with participants from various parts of the country.
A large number of tourists from different parts of the world, including France and Russia, watched the match. Corps Commander of Peshawar Lieutenant General Hasan Azhar Hayat was the special guest at the final match.
The tribes from the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral meet at the Shandur pass every summer.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Authority spokesperson Muhammad Saad said that various music bands performed in the final match while a Kalash dance was also performed. He added that the students from different schools sang special national songs at the end of the festival.
