Lahore - Master Paints/Efu Insurance clinched the Royal Marketing Pakistan Polo Cup after routing Master Paints Black by 5½-2 in the final played here at the Lahore Polo Club ground on Sunday.
Hat-trick boy Hamza Mawaz Khan played key role in Master Paints/Efu Insurance’s triumph while Edward Banner Eve also played superbly and contributed two important goals. From Master Paints Black, Bilal Haye banged in both the goals.
Hamza started well for the Master Paints/Efu as he firing a field goal to give his team 1-0 lead in the first chukker. Master Paints Black started the second chukker with a goal from Bilal Haye off a spot penalty to level the score 1-1. Hamza once again displayed quality stick work and slammed in another field goal to give his tema 2-1 edge but the lead couldn’t live long as Bilal Haye thwarted an impressive equalizer to draw the blood 2-2.
The only goal of the third chukker came Edward Banner Eve which gave Master Paints/Efu 3-2 edge while they also fully dominate the fourth and last chukker as they thwarted two more tremendous goals - one each by Hamza and Edward – to finish the final at 5-2. With half goal handicap advantage, Master Paints/Efu won the final 5½-2. Maj Omer Minhas and Eulogio Celestino supervised the match as field umpires. Eulogio Celestino helped Diamond Paints beat ZTBL by 7-6½ to win the subsidiary final. Eulogio scored five out of seven goals while Omar Asjad Malhi and Mir Huzaifa Ahmad struck one goal each to the complete the tally. From ZTBL, Saqib Khan Khawani though played superb polo and struck four goals while Raja Arslan Najeeb scored two but their efforts proved futile in the end. Maj Omer Minhas and Luis Mighal Duggan officiated the match as field umpires.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) president Malik Tahir Javed graced the final as chief guest while Irfan Shaikh and Faisal Shaikh of sponsors, Lahore Polo Club president Irfan Ali Hyder, LPC executive committee members Umer Sadik, Omar Niazi, Saqib Khan Khakwani, secretary Col (r) Shoaib Aftab, families of players and members and a great number of polo enthusiasts were also present on the occasion and enjoyed the enthralling final.
