ISLAMABAD – Traditional drumbeats and melodious shahnai flutes are drownedout by thundering hooves in the small Pakistani city of Tulamba, as riderspound down a dusty track seeking world record glory in the ancient sport oftent-pegging.
Riders in bright costumes drive their lances into the targets, wooden pegsembedded in the dry ground, their aim sometimes obscured by the dust kickedup by other competitors.
The cavalry sport requires a mounted horseman to pierce and pick up a pegfrom the ground at a full gallop.
“This is the sport of young lions,” local politician Shaukat Hayat Bosantold AFP. “For this sport not only a good horse but a good rider is alsonecessary.”
This year’s event organised by the Muhammadiya Hyderia Sultania Awan Clubin Tulamba, held on Wednesday, aimed to be a little different: organisersclaim they used it to set six world records.
Admittedly, organiser Shahzada Sultan Muhammad Ali said, there had been nomention of tent pegging in the Guinness Book of World Records previously.
But, he told the crowd, they established a record for 120 horses reachingthe finish line in 166 seconds, and for uprooting 90 tent pegs at once,among others.
They are awaiting final confirmation from Guinness officials.
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Organisers hope the bid will draw much-needed international attention tothe sport.
Popular for centuries on the sub-continent, tent-pegging has become a dyingpastime in Pakistan, mainly kept alive in wealthy Punjab province.
There it remains part of cultural celebrations in urban areas, where ridersdress up in traditional waistcoats and turbans of vibrant colors whilehorses are fitted with shining saddles.
Muhammad Sohail, one of the participants in Tulamba, took the opportunityto call for more support for the sport.
“We are promoting this sport on our own,” he said, calling on the Pakistanigovernment to help.
In 2018 Pakistan qualified for the first time in a decade to participate inthe tent-pegging World Cup held in the UAE. A total of 12 teamsparticipated in the event. – APP/AFP
