SHANDUR PASS — Team Gilgit shattered a 13-year title drought and reclaimed the coveted Shandur Polo Festival trophy by defeating arch-rivals Chitral in a gripping final at the world’s highest polo ground, perched at an altitude of 12,000 feet above sea level.
A historic victory at the roof of the world
The annual Shandur Polo Festival — one of Pakistan’s most iconic cultural and sporting spectacles — concluded with a dramatic twist as Gilgit overpowered Chitral in the championship match. The victory sent waves of jubilation through Gilgit’s fans and players, who had waited more than a decade to taste glory once again at the legendary Shandur Pass ground nestled between Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Also Read: Shandur Polo Festival: Where Hooves Echo Louder Than History and Chitral Wins Again
Chitral’s dominant 13-year reign comes to an end
The triumph carries enormous significance because Chitral had dominated the Shandur Polo Festival with an iron grip for over a decade. A look at the last 14 editions of the festival — spanning from 2012 to 2026 — reveals the sheer scale of Chitral’s supremacy:
- 2012 — Chitral won the final
- 2013 — Chitral won the final
- 2014 — Chitral won the final
- 2015 — Chitral won the final
- 2016 — Chitral won the final
- 2017 — Chitral won the final
- 2018 — Chitral won the final
- 2019 — Chitral won the final
- 2020 — Festival postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021 — Festival postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2022 — (No festival held)
- 2023 — Chitral won the final
- 2024 — Chitral won the final
- 2025 — Chitral won the final
- 2026 — Gilgit won the final
Shandur Polo Festival Dates Announced as KP Finalises Preparations
Chitral claimed 11 consecutive titles from 2012 through 2019 before the global COVID-19 pandemic forced organisers to cancel the festival in both 2020 and 2021. When the tournament returned in 2023 after a two-year hiatus, Chitral once again denied Gilgit and lifted the trophy. The Chitral polo squad continued its winning streak in 2024 and 2025, extending its overall dominance to 13 titles.
Gilgit turn the tables in 2026
The 2026 edition, however, told a completely different story. Gilgit’s polo team arrived at Shandur with renewed determination and delivered a masterclass performance in the final. The team dismantled Chitral’s defence, reversed years of heartbreak, and emerged as the deserving champions — ending a painful 13-year wait for their passionate supporters.
The significance of Shandur
The Shandur Polo Festival remains one of the world’s most unique sporting events. Played on a vast, flat plateau at 12,000 feet between the towering peaks of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram ranges, the free-style polo tournament draws thousands of spectators from across Pakistan and international tourists every year. The festival celebrates the centuries-old polo traditions of the northern regions, where the sport originated long before it spread to the rest of the world.
The rivalry between Gilgit and Chitral forms the beating heart of the Shandur Polo Festival, and Gilgit’s 2026 victory ensures that this fierce competition enters a thrilling new chapter.
