LAHORE – Sheikhoo Steel/Diamond Paints and Asean Polo Team qualified for the main final of the Maj Gen Saeed-uz-Zaman Janjua Memorial Polo Cup sponsored by JS Bank after winning their respective semifinals here Jinnah Polo Fields (JPF) on Friday.
In the eight-chukker semifinal of the day, Sheikhoo Steel/Diamond Points started the match against Jubilee Insurance from having 7½-3 lead that they gained after first four chukkers played earlier and now in the next four chukkers played on Friday, they added seven more goals in their tally against four goals by Jubilee Insurance to win the crucial encounter by 14½-7. Saqib Khan Khakwani played hero’s role in Sheikhoo Steel/Diamond Paints’ victory as he hammered four fantastic goals while his teammates Ahmed Ali Tiwana and Mir Shoaib Ahmed slammed in two and one goal respectively. From Team Jubilee Insurance, Hissam Ali Hyder hammered a hat-trick of goals while Syed Muhammad Aun Rizvi scored one goal.
The second semifinal of the day, contested between Asean Polo Team and FG/Din Polo, proved to be a thrilling encounter and after a tough fight, Asean Polo Team won the thriller with a narrow margin of 6-5. Seasoned campaigner Raja Sami Ullah and Raja Jalal Arslan emerged as stars of the match as they displayed high-quality polo and skills and techniques and thrashed in three tremendous goals each from the winning side. On the other hand, Mian Abbas Mukhtar hammered a hat-trick of goals and Ramiro Zaveletta and Waqas Khan converted one goal each but their efforts couldn’t bear fruit for FG/Din Polo, which lost the crucial match by 5-6.
The enthralling and exciting matches were witnessed and enjoyed by JPF President Lt Col (R) Shoaib Aftab, Secretary General Maj (R) Babar Mahboob Awan, players and their families and polo enthusiasts. Now the main final will be contested between Asean Polo Team and Sheikhoo Steel/Diamond Paints on Sunday while Jubilee Insurance will vie against FG/Din Polo in the subsidiary final on the same day.
