D Sufi emerge Tenacious Polo Cup champs

LAHORE: Polo D Sufi annexed the Tenacious Polo Cup after narrowly beating Pakistan Air Force (PAF) by 6-5½ goals in the main final played here at Fortress Stadium on Sunday.

Saqib Khan Khakwani played outstanding polo for Polo D Sufi and hammered a hat-trick in his team’s title triumph while Ahmed Ali Tiwana banged in a brace and Mumtaz Abbas Niazi scored a goal. From the losing side, which had a half goal handicap, Raja Sami Ullah thwarted three goals while Raja Mekael Sami struck twice. Polo D Sufi started the final with a field goal through Mumtaz Abbas to take 1-0 lead. PAF soon equalized the score at 1-1 when Raja Sami fired in a field goal. In the dying moments of the first chukker, Ahmed Tiwana struck a field goal to give his side 2-1 edge once again. Saqib Khakwani converted a 40-yard penalty in the beginning of the second chukker to further enhance Sufi’s lead to 3-1. Mekael Sami then slammed in a field goal to reduce the margin to 3-2.

In the third chukker, it was once again Mekael Sami, who successfully converted a 60-yard penalty to level the score at 3-3. Polo D Sufi once again gained 4-3 edge when Ahmed Tiwana fired in a field goal, but the lead couldn’t last long as Raja Sami pumped in a field goal to square the things at 4-4. The fourth and last chukker was dominated by Polo D Sufi as they thwarted two goals through Saqib Khakwani as against one by PAF through Raja Sami. With half goal handicap for PAF, the final score was 6-5½ in favour of Polo D Sufi. Col Nauman Wasif and Farasat Ali Chatha supervised the match as field umpires. 10 Div Log Commander Brig Munir Ahmad graced the final as chief guest and distributed prizes. Lahore Garrison Polo Club Secretary General Col (R) Shoaib Aftab, Col Saleem Babo and Major Babar Mehboob were also present on the occasion.