FG lift 95th Punjab Polo Cup title

Staff Report

 LAHORE: Phenomenal FG defeated Diamond Paints-Master Paints by a good margin of 12-8 in the main final to clinch the coveted trophy of Bank of Punjab (BoP) 95th Punjab Polo Cup that concluded at the Lahore Polo Club Ground here on Sunday. The main final drew a notable crowd. Raul Laplacette from FG stole the show with an outstanding performance, scoring nine goals out of twelve. Teammate Mian Abbas Mukhtar contributed significantly with three remaining goals. Despite a two-goal handicap advantage and spirited efforts from Amirreza Behboudi (3 goals), Raja Jalal Arslan (2 goals) and Mir Shoaib Ahmed (1 goal), Diamond Paints/Master Paints could not bridge the gap created by FG’s aggressive play.  The opening chukker of the main final was a tightly matched affair, with both teams netting two goals apiece to level the score at 2-2. In the second chukker, FG took command, scoring an impressive five goals to Diamond Paints/Master Paints’ single goal, establishing a 7-3 advantage. The third chukker saw Diamond Paints/Master Paints momentarily close the gap to 4-7 with an early field goal, but FG quickly regained their momentum, scoring two consecutive goals to extend their lead to 9-4.  The final and crucial chukker witnessed FG enhancing their performance, netting three significant goals to Diamond/Master Paints’ two, achieving a commanding 12-6 lead. Accounting for Diamond Paints/Master Paints’ two-goal handicap advantage, the match concluded with a 12-8 victory in favour of FG, crowning them as the champions. The match was expertly officiated by field umpires Mark Holmes and Abdul Sattar Niazi. The subsidiary final was set between DS and BN but was called off due to rain, leading to a win for DS by default after BN withdrew from the penalty shootout decision. The event concluded with the chief guest presenting shields and souvenirs to the victors and standout performers, celebrating another successful chapter in the storied history of the Punjab Polo Cup.