Drass, June 9: The 4th Lalit Suri Polo Cup organised by Lalit Suri Hospitality group concluded at Viswanathan stadium Drass, here on Saturday.
 The match which was inaugurated by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in presence of Major General R Norana, Minster for CAPD and Tranaport Qamal Ali Akhoon and M P Hassan Khan.
 The final was played between Manipur Polo team and Himalayan Drass Polo Club. Manipur won match by 5-1.
 Omer Abdullah distributed trophies and cash reward among the winners. Manipur Team was awarded with of Rs 50000 while fitrst and second runner-up were awarded with Rs 30000 and 15000 respectively.
 Jai singh of Manipur team was declared best player of tournament and was awarded Rs 5000, .Cheetak was announced best pony of tournament and too was awarded cash prize of Rs 5000.
 Drass is one of the world highest polo turfs and The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group’s continuous efforts to promote the tourism in the region have faded the numbing sound of shells being fired in the region to the sounds of cheering crowd enjoying a polo match. Started with an exhibition match in 2009, The Group now annually hosts The Lalit Suri Polo tournament, which has been a success with support of local people, dignitaries, local and international players.
 The Viswanathan Stadium at Drass where matches were played is located at an altitude of 3280 meters and the second coldest habitat on earth, witnessed an enlivening and festive atmosphere. The match was cheered by thousands of locals and was accompanied by traditional SURNA - a wind instrument and DAMAN -traditional percussion instrument, without which no polo match is complete in Drass.
 Omer Abdullah noted that Jammu and Kashmir had a rich history of Polo. “The game has been popular in the Kashmir Valley and the Ladakh region since long,” he said.
 “We are glad that our emotional commitment towards the people of this beautiful region has helped us bring back Kashmir’s former grandeur and revive its beauty and rich heritage that makes it a must visit destination,” he said.
 Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson & Managing Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, Dr. Jyotsna Suri, said “As we complete the fourth season of The Lalit Suri Polo match, we are glad to know that our ethos of promoting the destination through initiatives such as Drass Polo match has helped the region to attract tourism in the state. From being a war zone 12 years ago, the sparsely populated town of Drass in Kargil district has recovered from the battle scars with the sound of thudding horse hooves.”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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