Lahore - Samba Bank and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) won the opening matches of the Pakistan Polo Cup 2018 here at the Lahore Polo Club ground on Tuesday.

In the first match of the day, Samba Bank defeated PBG/Remounts by six goals to four and half. For Samba Bank, Hissam Ali Hyder played outstanding polo and contributed fantastic four goals while the remaining two goals came from Shah Shamyl Alam. From PBG/Remounts, which had one and half goal handicap advantage, Mumtaz Abbas struck a brace and Nicolas Ruiz Guinazu converted a goal.

Samba Bank dominated the first chukker right from the word go as first they slammed in two field goals – one each by Hissam and Shamyl – to take 2-0 lead and then Hissam’s 60-yard penalty provided Samba Bank a healthy 3-0 lead before the end of the chukker. The second chukker saw only a goal coming from Samba Bank, when Hissam fired in a field goal through another long lofted shot to give hi side 4-0 edge.

The resistance was witnessed in the third chukker, when PBG/Remounts thwarted two tremendous back-to-back goals through Mumtaz Abbas Niazi to reduce the deficit to 4-2. But Samba Bank once again showed their class and banged in another brilliant brace to strengthen their lead to 6-2. Shamyl and Hissam were the scorers who hit one goal apiece. The only goal of the fourth and last chukker was scored by Nocalas Ruiz, which finished the match at 6-3. With one and half goal handicap advantage for PBG/Remounts, the final score was 6-4½ in favour of Samba Bank. Saqib Khan Khakwani and Bilal Haye supervised the match as field umpires.

In the second match of the day, it was two and half goal handicap advantage, which helped Pakistan Air Force win the lost match by 5½ goals to 5. For Pakistan Air Force, Raja Mikael Sami hammered two goals and Sqn Ldr Hamza Iqbal contributed one while for Olympia, Goffredo Cutinelli and Ahmed Zubair Butt thwarted two goals each and Bilal Haye converted one. Olympia started the match with field goal through Goffredo to take 1-0 lead in the first chukker. Raja Mikael then fired in a field goal to level the score at 1-1. Olympia again took the 2-1 lead, when Goffredo converted another field goal.

PAF fought extremely well by thwarting two back-to-back goals in the third chukker. Hamza Iqbal and Raja Mikael slammed in one goal each for PAF to give them 3-2 lead. In the dying moments of the match, Olympia struck through Ahmed Zubair Butt to draw the things at 3-3. This was all that PAF could get from the match, as Olympia hammered two brilliant back-to-back goals to take back 5-3 lead. When the final whistle was blown, Olympia were enjoying 5-3 lead but with two and half goals handicap advantage, PAF won the encounter by 5½ goals to 5.

Ahmed Ali Tiwana and Shaukat Ali Malik officiated the match as field umpires.