CHITRAL: The end of Chitral’s 15-year winning streak at the Shandur Polo Festival 2026 has left thousands of fans in deep shock, as even a week later, the unexpected defeat remains the main topic of discussion across the region and on social media.

Chitral lost the final match to GB by just one goal (final score 6-5). Many blame a highly controversial decision made during the game. The trouble started when Gilgit-Baltistan captain Shah Azam fell from his horse and got injured. To keep the game fair, the Chitral team had to bench one of their own players.

Polo association president Shahzada Sikandar and team captain Israr Wali decided to bench Nasirullah, who is considered Chitral’s most skilled all-rounder.

Retired polo star Maqbul Ali Khan called this move a massive blunder. He said the decision in the 15th minute of the first half turned the match in favour of GB.

Many blame a highly controversial on-field decision for the result

“Arbab Quli Khan should have been benched instead,” Khan said. He noted that Arbab missed many easy goals. Meanwhile, Nasirullah had already scored a goal from the centre position.

Nizar Wali Shah, a lifelong polo fan, said GB supporters celebrated the moment Nasirullah left the field. “They clapped and congratulated each other, saying ‘Shiekh is gone, Shiekh is gone,” Shah said, wiping away tears from his face. “Shiekh” is Nasirullah’s nickname.

Fans also pointed out another sudden change. Player Ziaur Rehman was dropped from the team at the last minute. Rehman had performed brilliantly in the pre-Shandur tournament.

Mohammad Ali, a fan from Mulkhow, added that putting Arbab Quli on the attack line was a technical mistake. Arbab had never played that position before, causing Chitral to miss critical scoring chances.

Former polo player Mohammad Said Khan Lal highlighted another major issue. The Chitral team and their horses did not have enough time to adjust to the high altitude.

The Shandur polo ground sits 12,500 feet above sea level. Moving quickly from Chitral town, which is at 5,000 feet, affects physical performance. The Chitral team arrived only three to four days before the match. In contrast, the GB team arrived 10 days early to prepare.

When contacted, polo association president Shahzada Sikandar defended his actions. He claimed Nasirullah was not performing well and said the team captain agreed with the decision.

Nasirullah strongly denied this claim. He said that when the GB captain got hurt, Arbab Quli actually volunteered to leave the field. Arbab had even gotten off his horse.

“President Sikandar rushed to the middle of the ground and stopped Arbab from leaving,” Nasirullah said. “Then the president whispered to the team captain and told me to go out instead. I simply complied.”

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2026