Master/Diamond Paints win subsidiary final

LAHORE: Master Paints/Diamond Paints edged past PBG/Remounts by seven and a half goals to six to win the subsidiary final played here at Cavalry Polo Ground on Saturday.

For the winning side, which had a half goal handicap, Umer Malhi emerged as star of the day as he fired in fabulous four goals while Saqib Khan Khakwani, Mir Huzaifa and Sufi Farooq Amin converted one goal apiece. From the losing side, although foreign player Nicolas Ruiz Guinazu played outstanding polo and hammered fantastic five goals and Ahmed Bilal one but their efforts couldn’t bear fruit for their side, which lost the subsidiary final by six goals to seven and a half.

Master Paints/Diamond Paints were off to flying start as they pumped in fine four field goals to take a healthy 4-0 lead. Umer hammered a hat-trick and Saqib hit one. PBG/Remounts bounced back well and thwarted three back-to-back goals in the second chukker to reduce the deficit to 4-3. Master Paints/Diamond Paints also made a strong comeback ans dominated the entire third chukker by slamming in three more goals to stretch their lead to 7-3. Mir Huzaifa, Sufi Farooq and Umer Malhi struck one goal apiece.

PBG/Remounts also changed their gears and started playing agressive polo, the move paid dividend and they managed to score a hat-trick to make it 7-6. After that both the sides tried their best to score more goals but they couldn’t add a single one, thus Master Paints/Diamond Paints emerged as winners by seven and a half goal to six. Col Nauman Wasif and Mumtaz Abbas officiated the match.