Remounts reach Aibak Polo Cup main final

LAHORE: Remounts qualified for the main final and Colony Polo Team for subsidiary final of the Pantera Energy Aibak Polo Cup after winning their respective matches played here at Lahore Polo Club ground on Thursday.

Ignacio Negri's fabulous four goals guided Remounts to a 6-5 nail-biting triumph over Master Paints Black, which helped them make way to the main final. Imran Shahid was the other key contributor from the winning side with two brilliant goals.

Master Paints Black's major contributions came from Mariano Raigal and Ahmed Ali Tiwana, who converted a brace each. Matias Vial Parez struck one.

The high-voltage first chukker saw both the sides matching fire with fire and scoring goals one after another and it was 2-all when in the dying moments of the chukker Master Paints Black fired in a field goal to gain 3-2 lead. The second chukker was evenly poised as both the sides struck one goal each with Master Paints Black still enjoying 4-3 lead.

The only goal of the third chukker was scored by Remounts, which helped them level the score at 4-all.

In the fourth chukker, both the teams scored one goal each to make it 5-all. No further goal was scored and the match was then decided in the sudden death (fifth) chukker, in which Ignacio Negri malleted the match-winning goal.

Earlier, Colony Polo Team defeated Diamond Paints by narrow margin of 8-7. Francisco Bensadon and Jamie Le Hardy scored a hat-trick each. Naveed Sheikh and Mian Abbas Mukhtar scored one goal apiece. From Diamond Paints, who had two goals handicap advantage, Mir Huzaifa Ahmed converted a brace.

Ramiro Zaveletta, Saqib Khan Khakwani and Abdul Rehman Monnoo struck one goal apiece.

Colony Polo Team thrashed in three back-to-back goals to gain 3-0 lead. Diamond Paints struck one just before the end of the first chukker to make it 3-1.

Colony Polo continued their good show in the second chukker when they added two more goals in their tally against one by Diamond Paints to make it 5-2.