Sports Bulletin Report
LAHORE: Platinum Homes/Master Paints and Remington Pharma qualified for the main final of the Major General Saeed-uz-Zaman Janjua Memorial Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by JS Bank after winning their respective matches here at the Jinnah Polo Fields on Friday.
Three matches were decided and after tough contests, Black Horse Paints, Platinum Homes/Master Paints and Remington Pharma emerged as winners on Friday.
In the first semifinal, Platinum Homes/Master Paints edged past Diamond Paints/Sheikhoo Steel by a close margin of 9-8. For Platinum Homes/Master Paints, Amirreza Behboudi played superb polo and fired in fabulous four goals while Qadeer Ashfaq and Sufi Mohammad Haroon banged in a brace each and Agha Musa Ali Khan struck one goal.
Nico Roberts, though played well for Diamond Paints/Nagina Group and smashed in superb six goals, and Lt Col Omer Minhas (R) hit two goals, but their efforts couldn’t yield fruit for their side, which lost the crucial match by 8-9. Raja Mikaeel Sami and Ahmad Bilal Riaz supervised the match as field umpires.
The second semifinal saw Remington Pharma defeating FG/Din Polo Team by 5-3½. In-form Hamza Mawaz Khan displayed excellent polo and smashed in superb five goals. His teammates Raja Jalal Arsalan and Shah Shamyl Alam also played well and converted two and one goal respectively. From the team FG/Din Polo, which had a half goal handicap advantage. Raja Jalal Arslan thrashed in two goals while Shah Shamyl Alam converted one. Amirreza Behboudi and Raja Sami Ullah officiated the match as field umpires.
Earlier, in the first match of the day, Black Horse Paints defeated Pindi Express team by a narrow margin of 5-4½. Hissam Ali Hyder and Adul Rehman Monnoo played outstanding polo for Black Horse Paints and hammered three and two goals respectively. From Pindi Express, which had a half goal handicap advantage, Raja Mikaeel Sami hammered a hat-trick and Nazar Dean Ali Khan struck one. Amirreza Behboudi and Raja Jalal Arslan were the field umpires.
A good number of players and families were present at the ground to enjoy the polo matches in the cold weather. Jinnah Polo Fields President Lt Col Shoaib Aftab (R), JS Bank Regional Head Majid Qureshi, Team Leader Zubair Ehsan Khan and Kashif Butt and others witnessed and enjoyed the enthralling encounters.
