Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral clash at Shandur Polo Festival
By Ashfaq Yusufzai
For CentralAsiaOnline.com
2011-07-08

CHITRAL – Gilgit-Baltistan’s C team beat Chitral C 7-5 in the second match of the Shandur Polo Festival July 8 on the world’s highest polo ground. In another match, Chitral B defeated Gilgit-Baltistan B 3-1.

The Chitral A–Gilgit-Baltistan A match is scheduled for 10am July 9.

Organisers have invited Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to be guest of honour and to award the trophy to the champion.

The festival includes other sporting, cultural and musical events.

Spectator turnout, estimated at about 9,000, has far exceeded expectations, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said.

The pictures are amazing, InshaAllah I'd love to go.

Gilgit-Baltistan beat Chitral

Gilgit-Baltistan emerge as Shandur Polo champs | Provinces | DAWN.COM
From the Newspaper (7 hours ago) Today

SHANDUR (Chitral), July 9: The Gilgit-Baltistan team clinched the Shandur Polo trophy by defeating Chitral team 7-4 in the final match of the festival here on Saturday.

Both the teams had scored three goals each by end of the hard-fought first half.

Chitral got an edge early on in the second half by scoring their fourth goal, but their lead proved short-lived, as Gilgit-Baltistan changed its strategy when only 15 minutes were left.

In an aggressive display of attacking game and defence, the Gilgit-Baltistan not only levelled the score, but went on to score three more goals to defeat Chitral 7-4. The players of Chitral forward line wasted several goal scoring chances after losing their nerves.

The winner GB team comprised Ghulam Abbas (captain), Altaf, Aslam Khan, Abdul Malik, Zulfiqar and Safdar Ali, while Chitral team included Shahzada Sikandar (captain), Mohammad Hussain, Shahzad Ahmed, Izhar Ali, Raza Khan and Israr Wali.

Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah gave away the trophy and prizes to the players. Safdar Ali of GB team was adjudged player of the tournament and Shahzada Sikandar of Chitral team grabbed man of the match title.