Lahore: Spirited Master Paints overcame high-flying Army team by 5-4 in the nail-biting main final to clinch the Hamdan Housing Polo Cup here at the jam-packed Lahore Polo Club ground.
Ahmed Ali Tiwana was phenomenal with both mallot and horse and displayed one of the finest polo performances of his career as he slammed spectacular
The high-voltage 12-goal final commenced with a classic 30-yarder from Manuel Toccalino which gave Army 1-0 edge over Master Paints. The winning side then bounced back in style and slammed an equalizer through Andres Crispo. The score at the end of the first chukker was 1-1 draw. The second chukker saw Master Paints taking 2-1 lead through a field goal by Ahmed Tiwana which was soon leveled by Toccalino who also struck a field goal to make it 2-2. In the dying moments of the second chukker, Master Paints stamped their authority and hammered a field goal through Sufi Amir to take 3-2 lead.
The third chukker was fully dominated by Army as they struck two goals – one each were converted by Isfandyar and Ahmed Zubair Butt – to have 4-3 lead. With this lead and form shown by Army, it seemed that Army would repeat the previous event performance and finish as triumphant but Master Paints fought extraordinarily in the fourth and last chukker and won the nail-biting encounter by 5-4. It was Ahmed Tiwana who smashed an equaliser through a field goal.
With this goal, it was anyone’s match as both the teams struggled hard for the match winner but it was once again hero of the day Ahmed Tiwana who hammered a golden goal to steer Master Paints to title triumph.
In the subsidiary final, MMS edged out Master/Diamond Paints by 5½-3. Raja Taimur Nadeem and Bilal Haye struck two goals each from the winning side while Saqib Khan Khakwani contributed one. From the losing side, Mir Huzaifa scored two and Juan Cruz Losada hit one goal.
