After the Kargil war of 1999, this was the first major encounter in Drass but a friendlier one. Exactly ten years after the war put a stop to the game of polo in the region, for two years, the top polo players of Drass were pitted against major national names. The exhibition match was organised by the Lalit Suri Hospitality Group.

As the four international players led by J Shergill made an entry into the field, with Tiger Hill and Tololing in the backdrop, the crowd of over 2,000 spectators roared. The roar stopped only when the final whistle blew, announcing the end of the game.

It was a close finish. The Lalit team, comprising Angaad Kalhan, Pawandeep S Kohli, Ransher Singh and captain Jai Shergill — all have represented India in the polo world cup — scored the winning goal, just three minutes before the close of the play defeating Polo Club Drass by 3-2.

Polo is the traditional game of Drass and in this small region, with a population of less than 17,000, eight teams exist. “It is our heritage,” said Mohammad Amin, president of the Polo Promotion Club, Drass. “We have been playing this game for generations now.”

Seventy-two-year-old Haji Mohammad Hussain was a polo player when he was young. “The love for the game has brought me here,” he said. “We have been playing polo for five generations now. Initially, this sport was played to welcome the Maharajas”.

The traditional sport of Drass had its first setback during the Kargil war and the game was stopped for two years. “During the Kargil war, we left our homes and lost our horses,” said 33-year-old Nazir Ahmad, captain of Lamochan polo team. “It took us two years to settle and find the horses of our choice”.

... contd.