By Sohail Ali
LAHORE, Dec 18 (APP):,Master Paints and Pricemeter.pk/Kalabagh Polo qualified for the main final of the Hamadan Polo Cup for Lahore Open Polo Championship 2020 after winning their respective semifinals played here at the Lahore Polo Club ground on Friday.
Both semifinals remained nail-biting encounters where both the winners carved out narrow-margin victories after tough battles. The enthralling and exciting semifinals were witnessed by Lahore Polo Club President Omer Sadik, executive committee members Agha Murtaza, Shah Qubilai Alam, Feroz Gulzar, Saqib Khan Khakwani, Agha Najeeb Raza, LPC Secretary Lt Col (retd) Mudassar Sharif, players and their families.
The first semifinal saw both the sides matching fire-with-fire till the end, where Master Paints prevailed in the dying moments and struck the match-winning goal to win the encounter by 8-7.
Marcos Panelo was the man who displayed high-quality polo skills and horse work and smashed in superb seven goals in his team’s triumph while the remaining goal was converted by Raja Jalal Arslan. From Diamond Paints/FG Polo, Tom Brodie was top scorer with a hat-trick while his teammates Saqib Khan Khakwani and Mir Huzaifa Ahmed converted a brace each.
Hugo Antonio and James Fewster supervised the match as field umpires.
The second semifinal also proved to be thrilling one where the match was tied at 4-all and the match was then decided in the sudden death chukker, where Mannuel Carranza hit the match-winning goal to guide Pricemeter.pk/Kalabagh Polo to a narrow 5-4 victory over spirited Barry’s.
Mannuel Carranza emerged as hero of the day from the winning side, who contributed with a classic quartet while Malik Salaar struck one.
Hamza Mawaz Khan and Ernesto Oscar Trotz banged in a brace from the losing side but their efforts were futile. Hugo Antoniob and Kian Hall officiated the match as field umpires.
