Paragliding club to be set up in Chitral

Report GH Farooqui
CHITRAL: The DCO Chitral Mutassim Billah Shah has said a paragliding club will be set up in Chitral to attract paragliders from within the country and abroad. He said Chitral has a suitable topography for this purpose. We have state land which can be used for this project, he added. He was presiding over a meeting of the district sports committee.
He said land at Birmogh Lasht was very much suitable for paragliding as foreign paragliders were already using it. A camp office for paragliding club will also be opened at Booni to facilitate the players. He said Shandur polo tournament is our traditional game which would be promoted further. He also promised to set up a sports office at Chitral to guide and support the local players.
The participants complained about unavailability of stadiums and playgrounds in the valley. Tehsil nazim Mastuj Sikandarul Mulk said he had already offered free of cost land for a playground and stadium but there were no funds for construction purposes.
The participants also complained of encroachments in polo grounds by public as well as some departments. They said a polo ground at Ayun had been occupied and most of its parts were under encroachments. Some departments have also occupied polo ground at Koghuzi. The polo ground at Chitral was being used by students of a private college. They said Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism (CAMAT) should be engaged and activated for promotion of sports and tourism.
The DCO also proposed arranging tours of Chitral polo players to Northern Areas and players of N.As to Chitral for enhancing mutual understand and harmony.