The local name of the partridge contest is Chakri tournament. PHOTO: EXPRESS

BHAKKAR: The Bhakkar air had a melodious ring to it as more than 600 black partridges tested their vocal chords in a chirping competition. Providing a unique experience to the audience, the birds had gathered to take part in the All Pakistan Black Partridge Tournament



The daylong event kicked off with the partridges being placed in an open field. Their owners were seen seated in a corner, praying for the victory of their beloved winged creatures. On the other side, the organisers of the tournament were busy counting the chirps of the black partridges.



The tournament started at 10am and ended after an 8-hour run at 6pm. Some partridges were shortlisted for the next round of the bird-chirping competition through a knockout system. The partridge which chirped the most was declared the winner and moved onto the next round of the competition.



This year, Farari, a black partridge from Mianwali chirped for a total of 265 times and won the final of the tournament. The runner up partridge was Sher Punjab, also from Mianwali, as he chirped a total of 264 times. The second runner up partridge was Tonsa’s Bhola Bhala who 258 times. Thousands of fans were present in Dilkusha Bagh to witness this extraordinary contest between the partridges.



During the tournament, some well-known black partridges from Karachi, Multan, Khanewal, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Peshawar and areas of interior Sindh and Balochistan competed with each other.



The chief guest of the tournament was Bhakkar President Electronic Media Association Tariq Hameed Malik and political figure Nasrullah Khan Dhandala. On the occasion, the owner of Farari told The Express Tribune that the tournament in Dilkusha Bagh, a historical area of Bhakkar, was very well arranged in terms of standards. “My partridge Farari chirped 265 times and finally won first prize after competing with other black partridges from all over the country. I cannot describe my happiness in words.”



On this occasion, many fans of the tournament praised the event and said they truly enjoyed this spectacle. At the end of the tournament, the owners whose partridges received first, second and third positions were also given cash prizes and trophies.



Rab Nawaz, the owner of the winning black partridge, received a cash prize of Rs50,000. The runner up partridge received a cash prize of Rs25,000 and the owner of the second runner up partridge took home Rs15,000.



The local name of the partridge contest is Chakri tournament and this was the third annual black partridge tournament organised in the historic orchard in Bhakkar.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2019.