LAHORE – Guard Group/Dascon Construction Company and Black Horse Paints/Artema Medical qualified for the main final of the Mohtaram Polo Cup 2019 after carving out sensational victories in their respective matches played here at Lahore Polo Club ground on Friday.
Guard Group/DCC defeated Diamond Paints by 10-6½ in the first match of the day. Saqib Khan Khakwani, Taimur Ali Malik and Col Omer Minhas displayed superb polo skills and techniques and contributed with a hat-trick each in their team’s triumph while Shahnawaz Ayaz Durrani converted one. Mir Shoaib Ahmed hammered a hat-trick and Mir Huzaifa a brace for the losing side, which had one and a half goal handicap advantage.
Diamond Paints had a good start with a field goal to take 1-0 lead, which couldn’t last long as Guard Group/DCC bounced back in style and slammed in three back-to-back goals to finish the first chukker having 3-1 lead. the highly-charged second chukker was also dominated by Guard Group/DCC as they struck a quartet as against one by Diamond Paints. By the end of the second chukker, Guard Group/DCC were enjoying healthy 7-2 lead.
Diamond Paints showed some resistance in the third chukker, where they struck two goals as against one by Guard Group/DCC as the score was 8-4 in favour of the winning side. Guard Group/DCC banged in a brace in the fourth and last chukker as against one by Diamond Paints to finish the chukker at 10-5. With one and a half goal handicap for Diamond Paints, Guard Group/DCC won the match 10-6½.
Black Horse Paint/Artema Medical beat Magic River by 8½-6 in the second match of the day. From the winning side, which had a half goal handicap advantage, Hamza Mawaz Khan emerged as hero of the day by smashing in superb six goals while Daniyal Sheikh and Farasat Ali Chatha struck one goal each. From the losing side, Ahmed Ali Tiwana scored a quartet and Ghulam Mustafa Monnoo banged in a brace.
Magic River started the first chukker by converting a 60-yard penalty to take 1-0 lead but Black Horse Paints/Artema Medical fought back well and slammed in three back-to-back goals to take 3-1 lead. The second chukker was evenly poised as both the sides struck two goals each and by the end of the chukker, Black Horse Paints/AM were enjoying 5-3 lead.
Magic River dominated the entire third chukker and scored two goals to equalize the score at 5-5. In the fourth and decisive chukker, Black Horse Paints/AM played better polo and converted three goals against one by Magic River to win the match by 8½-6.