Amn Mukha Tournament gets underway in Katlang

MARDAN: The annual Provincial Yusufzai Amn Mukha (Archery) Tournament 2024 has been launched in Badar Banda of the Katlang tehsil in Mardan district, with 20 teams from different districts participating in the event this year.

The tournament of the historic and traditional sports is named after Pakistan’s celebrated journalist, late Rahimullah Yusufzai, a former resident editor of The News International. It was Rahimullah Yusufzai who revived the old sports and started organising its tournament on the provincial level.

The Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate have regularly financed the Mukha tournament.Member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from PK-54 Katlang, Zarshad Khan, inaugurated the tournament at the hujra (male guesthouse) of the Haji Ameer Shah Khan, also a known Mukha player of his time.

After the demise of Haji Ameer Shah, his grandson Farman Shah is now regularly hosting the annual tournament in his hujra and serving the players and guests.As the Mukha matches are usually started before evening, the matches are played till midnight and the hosts remain present with the players.

Besides MPA Zarshad Khan, District Sports Officer Saeed Akhtar, journalist Mushtaq Yusufzai, president of the organizing committee of Provincial Yusufzai Mukha Tournament Amjad Hussain Yusufzai, members including Farman Shah and Gohar Ali Ustad, local elders and Mukha players attended the inaugural ceremony.

The MPA announced Rs100,000 to the organizing committee of the tournament. He paid tribute to late Rahimullah Yusufzai for his services to the people of his hometown, saying that despite being a known journalist, he was always available to people who needed his support.

“I haven’t seen a humble and honest person like late Rahimullah Yusufzai in my life. Despite being a journalist of international repute, he was always available to those in need,” MPA Zarshad Khan recalled.

He said he would continue to support traditional sports such as Mukha and assured the organising committee to play his role in building a stadium for Mukha in Katlang tehsil.Amjad Hussain Yusufzai highlighted the historical significance of Mukha and appreciated the kind services of late Rahimullah Yusufzai in reviving this sport.

He said that 20 teams are participating in the tournament. They are from Rawalpindi and Attock in Punjab, Haripur, Swabi, Buner and Mardan districts.He said the game originated in the subcontinent in 1870 and gained popularity in Swabi, Buner, Torghar, and Haripur within a decade. The first exhibition match was played in 1870 at Kalpani in Mardan.

Amjad Hussain said the primary objective of this tournament was to foster the development and preservation of popular Pakhtun games while ensuring a peaceful environment.Journalist Mushtaq Yusufzai appreciated the role of Sarhad Rural Support Programme, particularly its Chief Executive Officer Masood-ul-Mulk, and Director General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate Abdul Nasir Khan in the promotion of historic Mukha sport.He said their contribution and support had revived the sport and enabled the organisers to hold the annual tournament.