Allied Bank, Barry’s winners in Samba Bank Polo Championship
Allied Bank and Barry’s earned hard fought victories on the third day of ongoing Samba Bank Lahore Open Polo Championship at the Lahore Polo Club ground.
On the third day of championship, Allied Bank overpowered Diamond Paints 7-5 while Berry’s outclassed Green Orchard/Rijas in a tough competition by 5-4. In the first match of the day, Mumtaz Abbas Niazi scores a hat-trick from Allied Bank while Raja Arslan Najeeb and Hamza Mawaz Khan contributed a brace each. Hamza was playing in place of Saqib Khan Khakwani who was unable to play due to illness. From Diamond Paints Eulogio Celestino hammered a hat-trick while Ahmad Khan and Mir Huzaifa Ahmed scored a goal each.
Mumtaz Abbas opens his account through a beautiful field goal and takes lead by 1-0 but it was equalized by Diamon Paint’s Eulugio Celestino to finish the chukker at 1-1. Allied Bank was leading the second chukker as they contributed a combined hat-trick through Raja Arslan Najeed who scored 2 goals and Mumtaz Abbad hit 1 goal to take 4-1 lead but in the dying moments of second chukker, Eulugio Celestino added another goal to his name and for Diamond Paints to bridge the margin 4-2.
Mumtaz Abbas fired another field goal in the start of third chukker and gave Allied Bank an upper edge by 5-2 but Diamond paints then came from behind and scored back to back 2 goals and alive the game once again. Ahmed Khan and Eulugio Celestino contributed a goal each and reduce the gap to 5-4 at the end of third chukker. Diamond Paints continue its previous form and fired another field goal through Mir Huzaifa to level the match 5-5. The match can go to any once name but it was once again heroic of Hamza Mawaz who successfully converted a 60-yarder first and then fired a field goal to steer Allied Bank home easily over Diamond Paints by 7-5.
In another nail-biter Barry’s outsmarted Green Orchard/Rijas by 5-4 in sudden death chukker to win the match. Hernan Pieres remains the top scorer with fabulous 3 goals while Raja Mikael and Raja Samiullah added one goal each for Barry’s. Green Orchard/Rijas, Geoffredo and Ahmed Zubair Butt banged in a brace each but it was not enough to beat Barry’s in the match.
Match started with a slow pace and both the teams were playing and the only goal came from Green Orchard and that was levelled by Barry’s in the second chukker but it was Rija’s once again taking lead to end the second chukker 2-1. Barry’s once again equalized the match in the start of third chukker 2-2 but then Barry’s fired another 2 goals to take upper edge by 4-2.
In the fourth and the last chukker, all the players were in peruse to convert more goals for their side but it was Hernan Pieres from Barry’s who finds the goal post twice and levelled the game once again on 4-4. Both the teams then played to take lead as the encounter was going neck to neck but the match ended on 4-4 and it was decided on sudden death chukker where Raja Mikael becomes the hero of the match as he slammed the winning goal and won the match for Barry’s.
