Suggestion for the selection of Polo team

To,
The Editor
Chitraltimes.com

Dear sir,

This is with reference to the news �Polo players reject team selection� in your esteemed online newspaper this morning. It is extremely sad to hear that DCO�an ignorant of Chitrali culture and values decides who to play in Chitral�s teams at Shandur and the president Chitral polo association holds a press conference against it. It obviously means that the Polo Association�the specialized local level institution, which is considered to be responsible for all kinds of decisions about polo in the district, was not involved in the important decision of team selection for Shandur. Who�s fault is this? Many would criticize DCO for this but I am of a different view, I think this is the Chitral polo association and those Chitralis who know polo, or those who love polo or at least those who like polo should tell the DCO that team selection for Shandur is not his job. This is not a case of this year, even in the past years the experience of team selection has not been of any tribute. But this years� case is really pathetic and shameful that without consulting even the president of polo association, the DCO- someone not from Chitral, decides about the members of the honorable teams of Chitral.

This is now time for all those who are associated with polo�the traditional sport of Chitral, in one way or the other should sit together and develop consensus on forming a responsible body independent of the polo association. It is also suggested that the elected local governments should revitalize the traditional role of the civil society in all cultural activities including polo. There was a time when preparation for Shandur comprised of series of competitions in every village where there exists a polo ground and thus the local people used to own it but for last few years the preparing is done in a controlled environment in Chitral town resulting in reduced interest of the civil society in polo. And in absence of a strong civil society, the state institutions, like the DCO office this time, supersede the local institutions and consequently the organic beauty of the rich cultural heritage is transformed into arbitrary and deceptive events leading towards degradation of the culture of our ancestors.

Having said all above, one can conceptualize �Chitral Polo Board (CPB)� like Pakistan Cricket Board, Hokey Board or any other such kind of governing institutions at the national level. The Board as an independent body will have multi-faceted responsibilities regarding polo in the district including team selection for Shandur every year.


Ehsan-ul-Haq Jan
Islamabad
[email protected]