Gilgit-Baltistan defeated Chitral 6-5 to win the Shandur Polo Festival final at Shandur Polo Field in northern Pakistan, AP reported.
The final was played Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Shandur Pass in Ghizer district, Gilgit-Baltistan, at an altitude of about 3,700 metres.
The victory ended a wait of more than a decade for Gilgit-Baltistan. Players and supporters celebrated after the nearly hour-long final, waving flags and chanting slogans at the mountain venue.
The annual three-day festival returned freestyle mountain polo to the Shandur Polo Field, widely described as the world’s highest polo ground.
Spectators watched the match from makeshift stands along the mountainside, with families, tourists and local residents attending.
The festival also featured music, folk dances and local cuisine, turning the plateau into a cultural gathering beyond the polo final.
Read: Peshawar Corps Clinches Chief of Army Staff Polo Championship 2025
The event was organised with support from the Pakistan Army, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the regional government of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Peshawar Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Omar Ahmed Bokhari attended the closing ceremony.
