LAHORE - Phenomenal Hamza Mawaz Khan and Taimoor Ali Malik helped Guard Group/Master Paints lift the Pakistan Polo Cup after overwhelming Samba Bank by 7-4½ in the final played here at jam-packed Lahore Polo Club ground on Sunday.
The tournament was sponsored by Guard Group and Samba Bank. Samba Bank Chairman Dr Shujaat Nadeem and Guard Rice CEO Shahzad Malik graced the occasion as chief guests while Samba Bank CEO and President Shahid Sattar, LPC President Malik Atif Yar Tiwana, executive committee members, members and their families, Samba Bank Vice President Umar Liaquat, Guard Rice Director Shaharyar Malik and a great number of polo enthusiasts were also present there to witness the exciting and enthralling final.
Hamza Mawaz Khan emerged as hero of the day as he scored a quartet for the winning side while Taimoor Ali Malik once again amused the spectators with his phenomenal game and winning celebrations as he slammed in two goals while Sufi Farooq converted one goal. From Samba Bank, which had half goal handicap, all the four goals were hammered by Hissam Ali Hyder.
Hissam opened the Samba Bank account by converting a spot penalty to take 1-0 lead which was doubled soon by another field goal of Hissam to make it 2-0. Hamza Mawaz then struck a field goal to reduce the deficit to 2-1. The second chukker was dominated by Guard Group/Master Paints as they thwarted two back-to-back goals to pull back 3-2 lead. Taimoor Malik and Hamza Mawaz contributed one goal apiece.
Guard Group/Master Paints continued their good show in the third chukker as well as they thwarted two back-to-back goals to farther strengthen their lead to 5-2. Sufi Farooq and Hamza Mawaz were goal scorers this time, as they converted one goal each. Samba Bank then fought back well and banged in a brace through Hissam to reduce the margin to 5-4.
The fourth and last chukker was once again dominated by Guard Group/Master Paints, who pumped in two more goals - one each by Taimoor Malik and Hamza Mawaz - to take an unassailable 7-4 lead which remained intact till the final whistle was blown. With half goal handicap for Samba Bank, the final score was 7-4½ in favour of Guard Group/Master Paints. Bilal Haye and Raja Arslan Najeeb officiated the main final as field umpires.
In the subsidiary final, one and half goal handicap helped PBG/Remounts beat Olympia by eight and a half goal to eight. Nicholas Ruiz Guinazu was star of the day for the winning side, who hammered four goals while Saqib Rider struck two and Mumtaz Abbas Niazi hit one. From the losing side, Goffredo Cutinelli scored a quartet while Ahmed Zubair Butt and Abdul Rehman Monnoo banged in a brace each but their efforts couldn’t bear fruit as one and half goal handicap declared PBG/Remounts winners of the subsidiary final.
