LAHORE: Eulogio Celestino struck all the eight goals to steer BN Polo Team to a close 8-7 title victory against FG Polo Team in the final of the Diamond Paints Polo Cup for Champions Trophy 2020 played at the Lahore Polo Club ground.
BN Polo Team dominated the final right from the word go as they displayed high-quality polo skills and techniques to gain 3-0 lead while Tom Brodie struck one goal for FG Polo to reduce the margin to 3-1 just before the end of the first chukker.
FG Polo maintained their good show in the second chukker and thrashed three back-to-back goals to gain a slight 4-3 lead. The well-contested third chukker was evenly poised as both the teams played superbly against each other and converted two goals each, with FG Polo still enjoying a slight 6-5 edge by the end of the third chukker.
In the fourth and decisive chukker, it were BN Polo Team players, who played out their best and prevailed over FG Polo Team by smashing in three tremendous goals against one by their opponents to take 8-7 lead, which remained intact till the final whistle and BN Team emerged as winner of the event with just one goal margin.
Manuel Carranza and Ernesto Trotz officiated the match as field umpires while Kian Hall was match referee.
Earlier in the subsidiary final, Master Paints Black outscored Barry’s by 5-2½. Manuel Carranza and Ahmed Ali Tiwana excelled in Master Paints Black’s victory as they pumped in two goals each while Sufi Haroon struck one. From Barry’s, which had a half goal handicap advantage, Ernesto Trotz scored both the goals.
Sabiha Saman and Diamond Paints CEO Mir Shoaib Ahmed distributed shields and prizes among the winners and top performers.
