Young polo players question selection for Shandur tourney

CHITRAL: Members of civil society and young polo players from Lower Chitral on Sunday questioned the selection for the upcoming Shandur Festival Polo Tournament, terming it a blatant violation of merit.

Talking to reporters at the Chitral Press Club, players including Hayat Hussain, Muheebur Rehman, Tanveer Shehzad, Masroor Elahi, Abdul Qadir, Zafarullah Khan Jamali and others announced to stage a protest in Shandur if the team selection was not reviewed within 24 hours.

They said that several talented players who performed remarkably in the pre-Shandur polo tournament were initially included in the team through an official notification. However, due to alleged pressure from influential elements, the deputy commissioner of Lower Chitral reportedly removed Tanveer Shehzad and Masroor Elahi from the final list and issued a new one, which the speakers claimed was unjust and a violation of ethical norms.

According to the players, as per the rules of the polo association, only those players who reached at least the quarterfinals of the pre-Shandur tournament are eligible for selection. Yet, they said, the newly announced team included three players from a single family who were eliminated in the third round.

They also questioned the exclusion of Abdul Raheem, who played in the final and scored two goals, along with Islam Nabi, Tariq Hussain, and Awais Ali, players who reached the quarterfinals but were allegedly dropped due to lack of political connections.

The protesters demanded that the current flawed selection list be immediately annulled. They also called for restructuring the polo association through votes from active players and establishing a separate association for Upper Chitral.