The first round of an ice hockey competition began on Tuesday in Parwak village, Upper Chitral district, giving the young boys and girls, who were separated into eight teams, an exciting and uncommon opportunity for enjoyment.
Ms. Leslie Scanlon, the daughter of the Canadian High Commissioner in Islamabad, had travelled to the village to take part in the event’s opening match between the fox and snow leopard teams. By a score of three, the latter team prevailed.
Locals had flocked in droves to the location in the village’s centre, where an ice surface had been created for the game with funding from the Canadian High Commission and assistance from the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme.
The people evinced great interest in the newly-introduced game and were impressed by the performance of the young players, who had worked vigorously during the past two years when ice hockey was introduced here by the Canadian government.
The participants described the game as being highly new and exciting for them, adding that it would catch on with the locals like polo and end up becoming their favourite winter activity.
Sara Shah, a female councillor, praised the involvement of young girls in the game and praised the promise of gender equality in the community, where girls had also achieved success in the classroom.
On this occasion, Ms Scanlon noted that the terrain was perfect for the game. She claimed that the game’s future depended on the local communities level of enthusiasm.
She pledged her support for the local ice hockey and other winter sports events.
Later, she visited the stalls of locally made handicrafts and food items and expressed her interest in them.
