LAHORE – Hissam Ali Hyder’s heroics helped Newage/Diamond Paints overpowered Kalabagh Four by eight goals to six in the Maj Gen Saeed Uz Zaman Memorial Polo Cup 2018 opening match played here at Fortress Stadium on Tuesday.
Hissam was in sublime and displayed outstanding polo skills and techniques to gather superb six goals while Alman Jalil Azam and Mir Huzaifa Ahmed contributed one goal apiece in their team’s triumph. From the losing side, which had two goals handicap advantage, Raja Jalal Arslan banged in a brace while Raja Mekal Sami and Raja Sami Ullah converted one goal apiece.
Kalabagh Four opened their account with a field goal which was beautiful converted by Raja Mekal Sami to give his side 1-0 lead but Newage/Diamond Paints fought back well and replied with three back-to-back goals to take 3-1 lead. Hissam, Alman and Huzaifa scored one goal each for Newage.
Kalabagh Four bounced back in style in the second chukker and thwarted two tremendous goals, this time through one each by Raja Jalal and Raja Sami to level the score at 3-3. Hissam started the third chukker well with a field goal to provide Newage 4-3 lead which couldn’t last long as Raja Jalal struck another field goal for Kalabagh to square the things at 4-4. In the dying moments of the third chukker, high-flying Hissam hammered another field goal to give Newage 5-4 edge.
The fourth and last chukker saw Newage/Diamond Paints dictating their terms by not only dominating the entire chukker but also converting three back-to-back goals to make it 8-4. Hissam amused the spectators with his excellent polo skills and mallet work and emerging as star of the match with his sterling six-goal haul.
With Kalabagh Four having two goals handicap advantage, Newage/Diamond Paints won the match by 8-6. Raja Temur Nadeem and Maj Adil Sultan Rao officiated the match as field umpires. Today (Wednesday), Kalabagh Four will vie against Master Paints in only match of the day to be played at Cavalry ground at 2:15 pm.