FG Polo clinched the coveted trophy of the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square after edging past BN Polo by 9½-9 in the main final at the Jinnah Polo Fields.
Man of the match trophy was awarded to Raul Laplacette while the best mare of the match trophy was awarded to Mian Abbas Mukhtar’s polo pony Funa.
Final Overview
The main final of five rounds remained very enthralling and interesting. Raul Laplacette was the hero of the final as he amused the spectators with his outstanding mallet and polo pony skills and techniques. He contributed with superb six goals while his teammates Ramiro Zavaleta, Saqib Khan Khakwani and Mian Abbas Mukhtar converted one goal apiece. For BN Polo, Hamza Mawaz Khan fired in four goals while Tito Ruiz Guinazu contributed with a hat-trick and Baber Naseem with a brace.
The main final saw both the teams scoring one goal each in the first chukker to end it at 1-1. FG Polo started the second chukker with a conversion of 30-yard penalty to take a 2-1 lead but BN Polo bounced back well by thrashing in two back-to-back goals to earn a slight 3-2 lead. FG Polo then dominated the third chukker by cracking a classic quartet against one goal by BN Polo to gain a healthy 6-4 lead.
The highly-charged fourth chukker saw both the sides playing out their hearts and scoring one goal after another but BN Polo played better polo and smashed in five goals against three goals by FG Polo to draw the score at 9-9. It was a half goal handicap advantage that helped FG Polo emerge as winners.
Chris Hyde and John Fisher officiated the match as field umpires.
Subsidiary Final Overview
Earlier, Master Paints defeated Remounts by 9½-7 to win the subsidiary final. Manuel Crispo emerged as star of the day for Master Paints, which had a half goal handicap advantage, as he smashed in superb five goals while Sufi Muhammad Haroon banged in a brace and Agha Musa Ali Khan and Pelagio Balazaldi struck one goal each. For Remounts, Manuel Sundblad hammered five goals while Ahmad Zubair Butt and Jota Chavavanne converted one goal each.
President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi along with Jinnah Polo Fields President, Secretary as well as Takmeel Square CEO Dr. Kamran Fazal, distributed prizes among the winners and top performers.
Day 8 | BN & FG Polo Teams To Clash In Finals
BN Polo and FG Polo qualified for the main final of the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square after winning their respective semifinals played on Friday at the Jinnah Polo Fields.
The finals of the prestigious tournament will be played on Sunday, 3rd Match (afternoon).
Semifinal 1
Heroics of Roberto Arias and Hamza Mawaz Khan helped BN Polo qualify for the main final after outsmarting Diamond Paints by 6-3 in the first semifinal of the day. Roberto Arias and Hamza Mawaz were in sublime form and played excellent polo for BN Polo and thrashed in three goals each. For Diamond Paints, all three goals were converted by Chulo Corti.
Diamond Paints got off to a flying start as they converted two 40-yard penalties successfully to earn a 2-0 lead in the first chukker. BN Polo bounced back well in the second chukker with two back-to-back goals to level the score at 2-2. They added two more goals in the tally in the third chukker, but Diamond Paints then converted a 40-yard penalty to reduce the margin to 3-4.
The rest of the match was then dominated by BN Polo, as they first converted one goal in the dying moments of the third chukker to stretch their lead to 5-3 and then slammed in one more in the fourth and last chukker to comfortably win the match by 6-3.
Semifinals 2
Raul Laplacette was the hero as FG Polo edged past Master Paints/Newage Cables by a narrow margin of 9-8 in extra time on sudden death in the thrilling second semifinal of the day. From FG Polo, Rual Laplacette did magic with mallet and polo pony and fired in five fantastic goals while Mian Abbas Mukhtar banged in a brace and Ramiro Zavaletta and Saqib Khan Khakwani converted one goal apiece.
For Master Paints/Newage Cables, Simon Prado smashed in superb five goals while Juan Cruz Greguoli thrashed in two goals and Farooq Amin Sufi struck one goal.
FG Polo started the match aggressively by hammering a hat-trick of goals to gain a good 3-0 lead while Master Paints/Newage converted one to make it 3-1. The second chukker was also dominated by FG Polo, who malleted three goals against one by Master Paints /Newage to enhance their lead to 6-2.
The third chukker saw the total dominance of Master Paints, who fired in four fabulous goals one after another to draw the blood at 6-6. The highly-charged fourth chukker was very closely contested and both the teams tried hard to take the lead but with the score of two goals each by both the sides, the score was equal at 8-8.
In the dying moments of the match, it was anyone’s match but FG Polo players held their nerves and Raul Laplacette smashed in the match-winning goal.
Day 7 | Semifinals On Friday
The semifinals of the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square will be played on Friday, 3rd March at the Jinnah Polo Fields.
The first semifinal of the prestigious tournament will be played between BN Polo and Diamond Paints at 2:30 PM, while FG Polo will face Master Paints/Newage Cables at 3:30 PM in the second semifinal.
1st President National Polo C’ship 2022: Master Paints & Remounts Also Into Semi’s
Earlier on Thursday, two matches were played, after which Remounts and Master Paints qualified for the subsidiary finals.
Match 1
In the first match of the day, Menuel Sundblad steered Remounts to a nail-biting 6-5 win over DS Polo in the extra time, known as sudden death chukker. For Remounts, Manuel Sundblad played brilliant polo and smashed in five fabulous goals while Jota Chavanne converted one goal. For DS Polo, Hissam Ali Hyder fired in four fantastic goals and Bilal Haye struck one. But their efforts proved futile in the end.
Remounts opened their account with a fabulous field goal to take a 1-0 lead, but DS Polo cracked an equalizer just before the end of the first chukker to make it 1-1. They thrashed in two back-to-back goals to gain a slight 3-1 lead in the second chukker. The third chukker saw DS Polo adding one more goal in their tally, stretching their lead to 4-1 but Remounts then made a strong comeback by banging in two back-to-back goals to reduce the margin to 3-4.
In the fourth chukker, Remounts continued to play well and fired in a field goal to draw the blood at 4-4. At this point, it was anyone’s match, but DS Polo came from behind to smash a field goal to have an edge of 5-4. Remounts also showed their class and converted a field goal to level the score at 4-4 just before the end of the chukker and the match entered the sudden death chukker, where both the teams fought well against each other, but it was hero of the match Manuel Sundblad, who hammered the match-winning goal to help his side score a thrilling 6-5 victory.
Match 2
ManueI Crispo’s superb performance guided Master Paints to an impressive 7-4 triumph over HN Polo in the second match of the day. In-form Manuel Crespo emerged as top scorer with a contribution of six splendid goals while Agha Musa Ali Khan struck the remaining one from the winning side. For HN Polo, Santi Losa thrashed in three goals while Mikayial Sami hit one goal.
The first chukker saw both the sides scoring one goal each to make it 1-1. But the second chukker was then fully dominated by Master Paints by thrashing in three back-to-back goals to gain a good 4-1 lead. They continued their good show in the third chukker as well by hammering another hat-trick of goals to enhance their lead to 7-1. HN Polo bounced back well and converted one goal in the third chukker and two in the fourth and last chukker to reduce the margin, but it was too little too late, as they lost the match by 4-7.
Day 6 | Pool B Semifinalists – BN Polo & Master/Newage Teams
Diamond Paints and FG Polo from Pool B qualified for the semifinals of the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square at the Jinnah Polo Fields.
Thus, the first semifinal of the prestigious event will be played between BN Polo and Diamond Paints on Friday, while the second semifinal will be contested between FG Polo and Master Paints/Newage Cables.
1st President National Polo C’ship 2022: Master Paints & Remounts Also Into Semi’s
Match 1
Chulo Corti excelled in the Diamond Paints’ emphatic 8-4 victory over DS Polo team in the first match of the day. This victory also helped Diamond Paints qualify for the semifinals. Chulo Corti did the magic with mallet and polo pony and fired in five fabulous goals while Ahmed Ali Tiwana banged in a brace and Nico Roberts struck one goal. Hissam Ali Haider thrashed in three goals and Daniyal Shaikh hit one goal for DS Polo.
Both the teams were off to a flying start as they fought well against each other and succeeded in converting two goals each to finish the first chukker at 2-2. DS Polo played better polo in the second chukker and pumped in two back-to-back goals to take a 4-2 lead. The remaining match was then dominated fully by Diamond Paints, who thrashed in three goals each in the third and fourth chukkers to win the encounter by 8-4.
Match 2
Raul Laplacette’s heroics helped FG Polo beat Master Paints 5-3½ in the second match of the day. Laplacette was in sublime form and played excellent polo while smashing in three tremendous goals while his teammate Mian Abbas Mukhtar converted two goals. For Master Paints, which had a half goal handicap advantage, Manuel Crispo malleted all the three goals.
The first chukker saw both the sides scoring one goal each to make it 1-1. No goal was scored in the second chukker while FG Polo then banged in a brace to gain a slight 3-1 lead, but Master Paints replied strongly and struck one to reduce the margin to 2-3. They added one more goal in the beginning of the fourth and last chukker by converting a 30-yard penalty to level the score at 3-3. FG Polo then pumped in two back-to-back goals to win the match by 5-3½.
Day 5 | Pool A Semifinalists – BN Polo & Master/Newage Teams
BN Polo and Master Paints/Newage Cables from Pool A qualified for the semifinals of the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square here at the Jinnah Polo Fields.
From Pool A, BN Polo team won all the three matches and topped the points table while Master Paints/Newage Cables secured second position. The main matches of Pool B will be played on Tuesday after which the semifinal teams of Pool B will be decided.
Match 1
Simon Prado guided Master Paints/Newage Cables to a nail-biting 8-7 victory over Remounts to qualify for the semifinals. Simon Prado was in sublime form as he played outstanding polo and contributed with four fabulous goals while Juan Cruz Greguoli slammed in two goals and Raja Temur Nadeem and Farooq Amin Sufi struck one goal each for Master Paints/Newage Cables. Manuel Sundblad fired in four goals while Ahmed Zubair Butt hammered a hat-trick for Remounts.
Both the teams started the match well and converted two goals each to finish the first chukker at 2-2. Master Paints/Newage dominated the match with two back-to-back goasl to gain a 4-2 lead. They added one more in their tally in the beginning of the third chukker to stretch their lead to 5-2. Remounts then made a strong comeback by smashing in five fantastic goals to take 7-5 lead. Master Paints/Newage also bounced back in style by thrashing in three back-to-back goals in the fourth and last chukker to win the thrilling match by 8-7.
Match 2
Roberto Iturrioz Arias heroics helped BN Polo defeat HN Polo by 7-6 in the second match of the day. For BN Polo, Roberto Iturrioz Arias played excellent polo and hammered a hat-trick of goals while Hamza Mawaz Khan banged in a brace and Tito Ruiz and Baber Naseem converted one goal apiece. For HN Polo, Mikayial Sami thrashed in three goals and Santi Losa pumped in a brace and Haider Naseem struck one.
BN Polo were off to a flying start as they hammered a hat-trick of goals to have a 3-0 lead in the first chukker. They added two more in their tally in the second chukker to enhance their lead to 5-0 while HN Polo banged in a brace to reduce the margin to 5-2. The third chukker was evenly poised as both the sides scored two goals each with BN Polo still having a 7-4 lead. HN Polo though dominated the fourth and last chukker by smashing in two goals to reduce the deficit to 7-6 yet their efforts couldn’t yield fruit for their side and lost the crucial match by 6-7.
Day 4 | Manuel; Abbass & Raul Smash 13 Goals
Diamond Paints and FG Polo registered triumphs over their respective opponents in the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square matches played at the Jinnah Polo Fields. The matches will be played during afternoon on Sunday, 25th February.
Match 1
Mir Huzaifa Ahmad steered Diamond Paints to a narrow 8-7½ over Master Paints in the first match of the day. Mir Huzaifa, played splendid polo and converted three tremendous goals, while Nico Roberts and Ahmed Ali Tiwana banged in a brace each and Chulo Corti struck one goal. Manuel Crispo fired in five goals while Agha Musa Ali Khan and Pelagio Balazaldi scored one goal each for Master Paints, which had a half goal handicap advantage.
Diamond Paints started the match with a field goal to take a 1-0 lead which couldn’t last long as Master Paints struck an equalizer to level the score at 1-1. Just before the end of the first chukker, Diamond Paints successfully converted a 40-yard penalty to get back a slight 2-1 lead. The second chukker saw total dominance of Master Paints, who slammed in four back-to-back four goals to earn a healthy 5-2 lead.
Diamond Paints made a strong comeback in the third chukker by hammering a hat-trick of goals to equalize the score at 5-5. Diamond Paints maintained their supremacy in the highly-charged fourth and last chukker by hammering another hat-trick of goals to gain an 8-5 lead. Master Paints though bounced back in the dying moments of the match by thrashing in two back-to-back goals to reduce the deficit to 7-8, yet it was all that they could get from the match as when the final bell was rung, Diamond Paints won the encounter by 8-7½.
Match 2
Mian Abbas Mukhtar and Raul Laplacette were the two heroes of the day, who fired in four goals each FG Polo’s impressive 9-6 victory over DS Polo in the second match of the day. Both Abbas Mukhtar and Laplacette were in sublime form and displayed outstanding mallet and pony work that steered their side to an emphatic success, which also included a lone goal contribution from Ramiro Zavaleta. For DS Polo, Hissam Ali Hyder hammered three goals while Javier Guerrero scored two goals and Bilal Haye one.
Both the teams were off to a flying start as they converted one goal after another and finished the first chukker at 3-3. FG Polo played better polo in the second chukker by scoring two goals against one by DS Polo to earn a 5-4 lead. The third chukker was identical to the second one, where FG Polo players once again played well and thrashed in two goals against one by DS Polo to stretch their lead to 7-5.
FG Polo maintained their supremacy in the fourth and last chukker by pumping in two goals against one by DS Polo to win the match by 9-6.
Day 3 | Two Matches Decided; Manuel’s Thunderstorm Play
Remounts and BN Polo registered contrasting victories in the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square matches played at the Jinnah Polo Fields.
Match 1
Manuel Sundblad steered Remounts to a convincing 10-8½ victory over HN Polo in the first match of the day. Young six-goaler Sundblad from Remounts played brilliantly and pumped in eight excellent goals while Imran Shahid and Jota Chavanne struck one goal each. For HN Polo, which had a half goal handicap advantage, six goals were converted by Santi Losa while Raja Jalal Arsalan and Haider Naseem scored one goal each.
Remounts began the match with a field goal but HN Polo bounced back well and converted two back-to-back goals to have a 2-1 lead by the end of the first chukker. The highly-charged second chukker saw both the sides playing outstanding polo and thrashed in three goals each with HN Polo still enjoying a slight 5-4 lead.
Remounts made a strong comeback in the third chukker and fully dominated it by slamming in three back-to-back goals to earn a 7-5 lead. The fourth and last chukker also proved a see-saw battle as both the teams played extremely well against each other and managed to convert three goals each, thus Remounts winning the match by 10-8½, as HN Polo had a half goal handicap advantage.
1st President National Polo C’ship 2022: Three Matches Decided; Goals Storm Of Juan & Marcos
Match 2
Heroics of Hamza Mawaz Khan helped BN Polo outpace Master Paints/Newage Cables by 8-4 in the second match of the day. For BN Polo, Hamza was in superb form and fired in four fabulous goals while Babar Naseem thrashed in three goals and Tito Ruiz struck one goal. For Master Paints/Newage, Simon Prada was top scorer with two goals while Juan Greguoli and Farooq Amin Sufi converted one goal each.
Master Paints/Newage Cables were off to good start as they banged in a brace to take a 2-0 lead, which couldn’t last long as BN Polo bounced back well by banging a brace as well to level the score at 2-2 just before the end of the first chukker. BN Polo played better polo in the second chukker and converted three goals against one by Master Paints/Newage to take a 5-3 lead.
The third chukker was evenly poised as both the teams converted one goal each with BN Polo still enjoying a 6-4 lead. The fourth and last chukker was dominated by BN Polo as they pumped in two back-to-back goals to stretch their lead to 8-4, which remained intact till the final bell was rung and they emerged as triumphant.
Day 2 | FG Polo & Master Paints Teams Triumph
FG Polo and Master Paints registered victories on the second day of the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square at the Jinnah Polo Fields. Third day on Thursday, two matches will be played.
Match 1
Raul Laplacette shone in FG Polo’s 6-4 triumph over Diamond Paints in the first match of the day. Raul Laplacette was in sublime form and amused the spectators with his excellent polo skills and techniques as he fired in five fabulous goals. Mian Abbas Mukhtar also played well and converted one goal in FG Polo’s tally. Chulo Corti banged in a brace while Nico Roberts and Mir Huzaifa Ahmed struck one goal each for Diamond Paints.
FG Polo started the match with two back-to-back goals to earn a 2-0 lead but Diamond Paints bounced back with a conversion of a 40-yard penalty to reduce the margin to 1-2. Diamond Paints dominated the second chukker by thrashing in two back-to-back goals to gain a slight 3-2 lead but FG Polo scored an equalizer to level the score at 3-3. In the third and fourth chukkers, FG Polo team turned the tables by converting three goals against one by Diamond Paints to win the match by 6-4.
Match 2
Manuel Crispo excelled in Master Paints’ 8½-6 triumph over DS Polo in the second match. In-form Manuel Crispo did the magic with mallet and polo pony and fired in four fantastic goals while Pelagio Balazaldi and Agha Musa Ali Khan thrashed in two goals each for Master Paints. Hissam Ali Hyder though played extremely well as he converted five impressive goals and Bilal Haye struck one, yet their efforts couldn’t yield fruit for DS Polo.
Both the teams started the match well but Master Paints played a bit better polo to take a slight 3-2 lead just before the end of the first chukker. DS Polo dominated the second chukker by slamming in two goals to take a slight 4-3 lead. Master Paints made a strong comeback by firing in four fabulous goals against one by DS Polo to gain a 7-5 lead. Both the sides scored one goal each with Master Paints, having a half goal handicap advantage, won the match by 8½-6.
Day 1 | BN Polo, Master/Newage Victorious
BN Polo and Master Paints/Newage Polo emerged victorious on the opening day of the 2nd President of Pakistan Polo Cup 2023 sponsored by Takmeel Square at the Jinnah Polo Fields.
1st President National Polo C’ship 2022: Rolls Into Action; Barry’s & Remounts Win Openers
Match 1
Juan Maria Tito Ruiz guided BN Polo to an emphatic 10-6 triumph over Remounts in the first match of the opening day. From BN Polo, Juan Maria Tito played a brilliant game and contributed with five fabulous goals while Hamza Mawaz Khan fired in four fantastic goals and Roberto Arias converted one goal. Manuel Sundblad slammed in three goals while Ahmed Zubair Butt banged in a brace and Imran Shahid struck one goal for Remounts.
BN Polo started the match in great style as they hammered a hat-trick of goals against one goal by Remounts to take a 3-1 lead. The second chukker was evenly poised as both the sides played well and converted two goals each with BN Polo still enjoying a 5-3 lead.
The third chukker was identical to the second one as both the teams converted two goals each with BN Polo stretching their lead to 7-5. BN Polo dominated the fourth and decisive chukker by pumping in three goals against one by Remounts to win the match by 10-6.
Match 2
Juan Cruz Greguoli’s heroics helped Master Paints/Newage Cables thrash HN Polo by 7-1½ in the second match. Greguoli was hero of the day for the winning side as he thrashed in three tremendous goals while Simon Prada banged in a brace and Raja Taimur Nadeem and Farooq Amin Sufi converted one goal each. Santi Lusa scored the only goal for team HN Polo, which had a half goal handicap advantage.
Master Paints/Newage Cables dominated the match right from the word go as they slammed in three back-to-back goals to gain a 3-0 lead. They added one more goal in their tally in the beginning of the second chukker to enhance their lead to 4-0 while HN Polo struck one to reduce the margin to 4-1.
Master Paints/Newage continued their dominance in the third chukker and hammered another hat-trick of goals while no more goal was converted in the fourth and last chukker, thus Master Paints/Newage winning the match by 7-1½ as HN Polo had a half goal handicap advantage.
