Associated Press Of Pakistan
By Sohail Ali
LAHORE, March 10 — Remounts, BN and Diamond Paints achieved contrasting victories on Wednesday in the Bank Alfalah National Open Polo Championship here at the Lahore Polo Club grounds.
Ignacio Negri scored a fantastic five goals in the Remounts’ thrilling 7-6 victory over Barry’s in the first game of the day. Vieri Antinori and LD Imran Shahid were the other key contributors to the winning side. However, the losing team also played well as Ernesto Trotz hammered fantastic four goals and Hamza Mawaz Khan hit one but they could not score their victory.
Imran Shahid opened the scoring for Remounts to take a 1-0 lead, which was soon equaled by Barry’s Ernesto Trotz at 2-all. Ignacio Negri scored one to put Remounts ahead 2-1. The only goal of the second chucker was hit by Trotz to pull the score at 2-all.
The third chukker was even, as both sides each hit one goal to make it 3-all, while each in the fourth chukker converted a prop to celebrate things at 5-each. Remounts started the fifth and decisive chucker aggressively, scoring two consecutive goals to earn a 7-5 lead. However, Barry’s tried hard to score a few winning games, but they could only score one goal and lost the game 6-7.
Assisted by a hat-trick from Juan Maria Ruiz, BN Risala outscored 6-2. The remaining contribution comes from Eulogio Celestino, Raja Mikail Sami and Baber Naseem – all of whom scored one goal from the winning side.
For Risala, Dylan Rossiter and Abdul Rehman Monnoo each scored one goal. BN dominated the game directly from the start to the end of the fourth chukker and took a healthy lead of 5-0. BN added another in their score by Baber Naseem to extend their lead to 6-0. In the dying moments of the fifth and final chucker, Risala scored two goals – one each by Rossiter and Abdul Rehman – but it was too little too late as they lost the match 2-6.
Raul Laplacette sent Diamond Paints to a convincing 8-6 victory over Master Paints Black in the third and final encounter of the day.
Laplacette emerged as the star of the day with a contribution of fantastic four goals, while Ramiro Zaveletta passed with a prop and Mir Huzaifa Ahmed and Saqib Khan Khakwani scored one goal each. For Master Paints Black, Matias Vial Parez cracked a foursome and Mariano Raigal and Ahmed Ali Tiwana scored one goal each.
Diamond Paints dominated the game straight from the word when they hit in a prop – each by Mir Huzaifa and Zaveletta – to take a 2-0 lead, which further improved them in the second chucker by another prop to sit – one each by Saqib and Laplacette – to earn a healthy 4-0 lead.
Laplacette scored two more goals in the third chucker and extended their lead to 6-0, while Matias scored the first one for Master Paints Black.
to reduce the margin to 6-1.
Diamond Paints added another in their score to increase their lead to 7-1, while Master Paints Black hit one to reduce the margin to 7-2. Master Paints Black bounced back well in the fifth and final chucker who hammered four goals to further reduce the deficit to 7-6, while Master Paints Black conceded one by Matias to win the match 8-6.