March 10, 2006	Friday	Safar 9, 1427

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LAHORE, March 9: Sanofi Aventis qualified for final of the national Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup polo, on better goal average, despite losing the crucial last league match to Diamond Paints 10-9 on Thursday.

At the end of the league matches, Sanofi Aventis, Diamond Paints and Green Force were equal at six points each. But Sanofi had one-plus goal while the other two were on minus-two.

Sanofi will meet Bank Alfalah in the final on Sunday.

Five-goal Asif Tiwana was the main scorer for Diamond Paints against Sanofi Aventis.

Sanofi Aventis led the first chukker 3-2 as seven-goal Dhruvpal Godara struck two and Raja Samiullah one. Asif Tiwana and Mir Shoaib Ahmed scored one each for the winners.

Asif and his son Ahmed Ali Tiwana put Diamond Paints 5-3 ahead by scoring three goals in the second chukker. Asif scored back-to-back while Ahmed added one.

But Sanofi Aventis managed to equalise the score 6-6 in the third chukker as Godara struck three goals. Asif scored one for Diamond Paints.

In the fourth chukker, off-colour Guillermo Cuitino chipped in with a goal for Diamond Paints while Godara scored his sixth for Sanofi as both teams were locked at 7-7.

In the fifth chukker Asif banged home his fifth goal while Ahmed his second to earn 9-7 lead but Sanofi bounced back as Iftikhar Ali Khan Simba and Godara pumped in one goal each to again make it 9-9, before Asif struck the winner for Diamond Paints, converting a 60-yard penalty hit with a lofted shot.

Four goals by Mujahid Omar Khan enabled Green Force to beat Lindt Chocolate 9-5. Jota Chavanee (2), Ahmad Nawaz Tiwana (2) and Khurshid Ahmad (1) were other scorers.

For the losers, Diego Araya scored four while Sufi Mohammad Aamir chipped in with a goal.

In a match of an academic nature, Bank Alfalah faced tough fight from Union Bank before winning 10-9. For the winners, Jose Rivas (4), Hissam Ali Hyder (3) and Faaiz Rahim Khan scored two while Taimur Mawaz Khan added one.

For the losers, Vishal Singh (4), Agha Murtaza Ali Khan (3), Umar Sadik (1) and Shaukat Ali Malik (1) were the scorers.