Master Paints claims Lt Gen Shah Rafi Alam Memorial Polo Cup 2020 title

Master Paints clinched the Lt Gen Shah Rafi Alam Memorial Polo Cup after defeating Diamond Paints/FG Polo by 8½-8 in the thrilling final played at the Lahore Polo Club ground.

Diamond Paints/FG Polo stamped their authority right from the word go as they fired in fabulous four goals while in the dying moments of the first chukker, Master Paints converted one to reduce the margin 4-1. The second chukker was evenly poised where both the teams succeeded in thrashing two goals each but Diamond Paints were still enjoying 6-3 lead.

Master Paints turned the tables of the final in the third chukker, where they fully dominated and thrashed in four back-to-back goals against one goal by Diamond Paints to level the score at 7-7. In the fourth and last chukker, Master Paints converted one more goal to gain a slight 8-7 lead, but Diamond Paints continued to struggle hard and their efforts paid dividend when they managed to convert a 30-yard penalty to equalise the score at 8-all. No further goal was converted by either side and Master Paints won the thriller by 8½-8. Mannuel Carranza and Lt Col Omer Minhas officiated the final as field umpires.

Marcos Panelo emerged as the hero of the winning side, which was also enjoying the half goal handicap advantage. Panelo smashed in superb seven goals while the remaining one came from Raja Jalal Arslan. From the losing side, Tom Brodie was the man who struck splendid seven goals and Mian Abbas Mukhtar scored one but their efforts proved futile in the end as Master Paints won the final by a margin of a half goal, 8½-8.

In the subsidiary final, Samba Bank outpaced D Polo by 6.5-4. From Samba Bank, which had a half goal handicap advantage, Syed Muhammad Turab Rizvi and Edward Banner Eve hammered a hat-trick each while from the losing side, Abdul Rehman Monnoo struck all the four goals.

The very exciting and nail-biting final was witnessed and enjoyed by a great number of polo enthusiasts, players and their families besides Lahore Polo Club President Omer Sadik, excecutive committee members Agha Murtaza, Shah Qubilai Alam, Feroz Gulzar, Saqib Khan Khakwani, Agha Najeeb Raza, LPC Secretary Lt Col (r) Mudassar Sharif and others. Mrs Tameez Alam, wife of late Shah Rafi Alam, graced the occasion as chief guest and gave away trophies and souvenirs to the winners and top performers. Shah Qubilai Alam and Shah Shamyl Alam, sons of late Shah Rafi Alam, were also present on the occasion.