LAHORE: Guard Group/DCC clinched the Haary’s Ali Hyder Polo Cup after defeating Black Horse Paints by a narrow margin of 5-4 in the final played here at Lahore Polo Club ground.
Black Horse Paints made a good start by converting a 60-yard penalty through Hamza Mawaz Khan to take 1-0 lead, which remained intact till the end of the first chukker. Guard Group/DCC made a strong comeback and banged in two back-to-back goals through Ahmed Bilal Riaz to have 2-1 edge.
Black Horse Paints fought back well in the third chukker and fired in a field goal through Hamza Mawaz to level the score at 2-2. But Guard Group/DCC once again bounced back in style and pumped in two back-to-back goals – one each by Saqib Khan Khakwani and Taimoor Ali Malik – to regain a healthy 4-2 lead. The fourth and last chukker saw Guard Group/DCC continuing their show and adding one more goal in their tally through Ahmed Bilal to further stretch their lead to 5-2. Phenomenal Hamza Mawaz then showed aggression and converted two back-to-back goals for to close the margin to 5-4 and then continued to attack Guard Group/DCC’s goal but couldn’t succeed in scoring more goal, thus lost the final by 4-5. Omar Asjad Malhi and Ahmad Khan officiated the match as field umpires.
It is pertinent to mention here that continuing its tradition, Lahore Polo Club has dedicated the polo tournament in memory of Harry’s Ali Hyder (1978-1995). On this former LPC President Irfan Ali Hyder, father of late Harry’s, expressed his gratitude to the Lahore Polo Club head and management for naming the event after his son.