by Dr Suheel Rasool Mir
Gurez Valley’s rich sporting heritage blends traditional games and modern cricket, with innovative snow cricket fostering unity, resilience, and hope among youth despite isolation and harsh winters.
The history of sports in the borderland space of Gurez Valley is very ancient. Gurez, the valley of the Dard-Shina ethnicity, has a long tradition of sporting activities, from casual games to major events. From the prominent traditional Chaugaan Bazi (horse polo) to modern-day snow cricket, these activities not only provide pleasure and enjoyment to children but also teach them how to develop winter resilience and live with each other in harmony.
In Gurez Valley, sporting culture has always developed physical abilities and, most importantly, strengthened kinship ties and promoted communitarian support; thus, many of the sports were team games rather than individual ones. Without any caste, colour, creed, or gender barriers, these traditional games were played in a more interactive manner by both boys and girls, providing leisure as well as physical and mental development among children and teaching them lessons of life.
Traditional sports and games also enhance peace, reinforce youth empowerment, and promote ethical sporting practices among youth in Gurez. In ancient times, people used to amuse themselves by playing traditional games like horse riding and hunting, which were common among the elders.
Children, however, played games and sports like iti-danda (guli-danda), kabaddi, aise-pise or chappan-buddi (hide and seek), and dice games. Kho-Kho was famous among girls; apart from that, getay was also popular among both girls and boys. Though kabaddi and guli-danda are still in practice, games like chitoo, getay, and aise-pise are the least preferred and have almost been discontinued in some areas of Gurez.
Modern games such as cricket, volleyball, and football are now popular among the youth. All these games attract significant interest. In the remote and picturesque Gurez Valley, tucked away in the northernmost corner of Jammu and Kashmir, cricket isn’t just a sport; it’s a way of life. When the sun dips behind the Himalayan peaks and the day’s chores are done, the people of Gurez gather around shop fronts to discuss, play, and breathe cricket. This nightly ritual has become an integral part of their daily routine, binding the valley’s inhabitants in a shared passion.
Gurez, a region renowned for its natural beauty and isolation, is not typically associated with cricket. However, this beloved sport has woven itself into the very fabric of the local culture. Gurez’s passion for cricket isn’t driven by glitzy tournaments or international fame. As the day’s work concludes, residents, young and old, gather around shop fronts to discuss cricket, which team is playing, who won, and who scored how much. These gatherings include passionate discussions, debates, and shared dreams of a brighter cricketing future. Though the valley has produced some of the finest bureaucratic and political personalities for the state and the country, a major cricketing personality is still awaited.
Cricket in Gurez is more than a pastime; it is a bonding experience. Families, clans, and castes come together to form homogeneous teams. People with the surname Khan would join Team Khan, while those with the surname Bhat would join Team Bhat. The cricket setup is minimal, for children, a roughly carved piece of wood serves as a bat.
The ball is often rubber or tennis, while a leather ball is used during local tournaments. One can see children, their faces smeared with dust, emulating their cricketing heroes and writing their names on their T-shirts. As the sun sets, these young cricketers display immense enthusiasm and unwavering passion, taking turns to bat and showcasing their raw yet remarkable skills.
Gurez’s love for the sport has given birth to a new form known as Snow Cricket, which was even praised by Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne. In Snow Cricket, organisers fill the trampled patches on the pitch with snow, water the surface, and wait for it to freeze. Finally, a mat is laid over the turf to even out the surface. The older generation, too, is not left behind. They sit in huddles, reminiscing about cricketing legends of the past and discussing the current state of the game. These discussions often lead to debates as intense as a T20 match, with each individual passionately defending their favourite player or team.
It is worth noting that the harsh winters, which can extend for several months, do not deter the valley’s cricket enthusiasts. Earlier, in the absence of open spaces, cricketing activities would slow down like the outside weather. However, the sheer love for the game led people to innovate in the form of Snow Cricket. This spirit remains unbroken even in the face of nature’s harshest challenges. Snow cricket fever grips Kashmir. The cricketing culture in Gurez is not just a source of recreation; it is a symbol of unity and hope.
In a region marked by geopolitical tensions and harsh living conditions, cricket provides a welcome escape. It unites people across backgrounds, languages, and walks of life. It stands as an enduring symbol of the valley’s resilience and determination to overcome adversity. Moreover, cricket has given the youth of Gurez a dream to chase. Seeing players like Manzoor Pandav, Umran Malik, and Parvez Rasool reach national cricket from Jammu and Kashmir has ignited hope among serious cricketers of Gurez. Many dream of representing their region, their state, and even their country.
As the moon rises over the snow-capped peaks, Gurez’s nightly cricket ritual continues, offering its people more than just a game. It provides connection, belonging, and hope for a better tomorrow. In these moments, Gurez transcends its geographical isolation, and cricket becomes the language that unites hearts and minds. In a world divided by borders and ideologies, Gurez stands as a testament to the unifying power of sport. Here, on the shop fronts of Gurez, cricket is more than a game; it is a celebration of life, hope, and unity in the face of adversity.
This local rendition of Snow Cricket has become a cherished part of the sporting culture in Gurez Valley, offering a joyful escape from the harsh cold, rugged terrain, and winter challenges. When the sun casts long shadows over the snowy valley in winter, children gather on open grounds, ready to play. Snow Cricket gained popularity through programmes like Operation Sadbhavana and goodwill initiatives by the Indian Army in collaboration with the community.
(The author’s work, ‘Cultural Encyclopedia of the Dard Tribe: Journey Through Gurez and Ladakh’, is a sociological and anthropological resource on Dards. Ideas are personal.)
