LAHORE: Master Paints annexed the JS Bank-sponsored Maj Gen Saeed-uz-Zaman Janjua Memorial Polo Cup after routing AOS Polo Team by 7-4 in the main final played here at the LP&CC. 

Saeed-uz-Zaman Janjua Memorial Polo Cup 2019: Winning team Master Paints with the Trophy, Chief Guest and the Organizers – Courtesy: LP&CC

Master Paints had also won the 2018 Maj Gen Saeed-uz-Zaman Janjua Memorial Polo Cup.

Mariano Regal was hero of the final as he cracked a classic quartet for Master Paints while his teammates Bilal Haye and Farooq Amin Sufi slammed in two and one goal respectively. From AOS, Raja Samiullah hammered a hat-trick and Raja Jalal Arslan contributed one.

Master Paints dominated the final right from the world go as they thrashed two back-to-back goals to gain 2-0 lead in the first chukker. AOS fought back well in the second chukker as they also converted two back-to-back goals to square the things at 2-all. Master Paints changed their game plan and launched a series of attacks on AOS goal, which helped them bang in a brace to take back 4-2 lead. The third chukker was evenly poised as both the teams converted one goal each to make it 5-3. In the fourth and last chukker, AOS struck one more goal to reduce the margin to 5-4.

It was everyone’s match as both the teams were fighting hard for scoring more goals but Master Paints played better polo and smashed in two more goals to win the final by 7-4.

Earlier in the subsidiary final, Diamond Paints defeated Artema Medical/Black Horse Paints by 9-7. Mir Huzaifa Ahmed and Hissam Ali Hyder were stars of the day for Diamond Paints as they fired in fabulous four goals each while Mir Shoaib Ahmed converted one. From the losing side, which had two goals handicap advantage, Hamza Mawaz Khan scored a quartet while Ahmed Bilal Riaz hit one.

Mrs Maj Gen Saeed-uz-Zaman Janjua graced the concluding ceremony as chief guest along with son Brig (R) Badar-uz-Zaman, daughter Areeba Magsi, and distributed prizes and shields among the winners. The other guests who accompanied The Chief Guest were JS Bank Business Head – Syed Imtiaz Bukhari and Unit Head – Majid Qureshi, Team Leader – Kashif Butt.