Bureau Report
FAISALABAD: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad on Thursday arranged three-day national tent pegging championship as part of ongoing spring festival, meant to promote agriculture and our rich rural culture, in which 1200 horse riders from 220 clubs are taking part.
The championship was inaugurated by Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jahania Gerdezi who was flanked by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. Whereas Principal Officer Estate Management Dr Qamar Bilal, Endowment Funds Deputy Director Amir Saeed, Director Farms Dr Haroon Zaman, Research Associate Nehal Ahmad Khan and a large number of the people witnessed the activities.
Scores of horse lovers thronged UAF to have the delight of the national tent championship at the Tent Pegging Stadium, UAF. The day witnessed eye-catching and attractive tent pegging by riders waving spears to collect the wooden peg amid clouds of dust rising from the grounds. The rider hanging halfway down while galloping with high speed to lift the piece of wood with a spear is a main source of attraction for speculators.
Syed Hussain Jahania Gerdezi said that tent pegging presents our rural culture and it inculcates the focused approach in order to achieve goals and target. It was need of the hour to connect the youth with our rich tradition and norms. He said that the nations who value their culture and remain intact with their norms progress in the world. He lauded the efforts of Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan for the agriculture sector and to arrange rural based festivals to inculcate eastern culture among the youth . He said that the rest of the agricultural universities should also come up with such outreach programs that will strengthen their ties with rural populations and help spread the new agricultural trends with the fragrance of rural development for ensuring food security and to alleviate poverty at grassroots level . He said that the government was taking all possible steps for the uplift of the agriculture sector
Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said tent pegging is a historical sports which was essential for warriors. It was spread to various part of the world by Asian and later European empires. He added that tent pegging had become a permanent feature of UAF sports activities. He said that the UAF being the first agricultural university in the subcontinent always takes the lead in addressing the agricultural challenges. He said that the event attracted the best horse riders across the country.
