Polo is the traditional sport of Drass, a town in Jammu and Kashmir. But locals say that the lack of basic facilities, equipment, coaches and tournaments are major impediments to the growth of the game. They urge the government to revive the sport, citing high local interest and tourism potential.
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DRASS, KASHMIR, INDIA – Horses raced around the playing grounds at a polo match last month in Drass, a town in Jammu and Kashmir state. Wielding long mallets, the players battled for the ball in front of thousands of jubilant fans.
Excited fans – young and old, male and female – quickly became lost in the final game of the annual Lalit Polo Tournament at Viswanathan Stadium in Drass, also know as Dras. Part of the polo tradition here, music from the surna, a wind instrument, and daman, a percussion instrument, mingled with the fans’ cheers as they rooted on their favorite teams.
A group of local youth watched the match enthusiastically.
“Polo is our traditional sport,” Abdul Rehman, one of the youths, says. “We’ve come over all the way to watch its proceedings.”
The young fans say they flocked to the stadium from the surrounding areas to watch the match. Polo has been declining here in recent years, making the annual tournament a sacred event.
“Though the game is dying its death here, we want it to be revived,” Rehman says.
The group says that the government makes big promises when it comes to reviving polo but so far has not kept them.
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