February 16, 2008	Saturday	Safar 08, 1429

LAHORE, Feb 15: A fine six-goal performance by Juvilo Nevilio Stada was overshadowed when five-goal Saqib Khan Khakwani and four by Ignacio Toccalino helped Lindt Chocolate earn a 9-7 win against LG/Rangers in the national polo championship, the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup, here on Friday.

Converting a spot penalty, Toccalino provided the winners an early lead in the very first minute of the first chukker, after which Stada replied quickly firing his first goal on a field attempt with a backhanded shot to equalise the score 1-1.

It was equal again with 3-3 at the end of the second chukker as Saqib pumped in back-to-back goals on field attempts but saw Stada fighting to bring the losing side on an even keel, scoring two in a row.

The fight for supremacy was on, with the score 5-5, in the third chukker. First Stada hit his fourth goal but Toccalino managed his second through a field attempt to make it 4-4. But Saqib’s third goal again put the winners ahead with 5-4. The lead was short-lived as Kashif Jamal chipped in a goal for the losing side to lock horns again.

The fourth chukker was totally dominated by the winners, scoring three goals. Toccalino had a share of two goals while Saqib one to gain a clear 8-5 lead.

In the fifth chukker, the seemingly always struggling Stada tried to stage a comeback by reducing the lead to 8-7 through back-to-back goals. But Saqib’s fifth completed the tally.

Meanwhile, five-goal Jose Rivas of ABN Amro Bank made defending champions Bank Alfalah suffer a shocking 10-4 defeat.

The winners came out with a 3-2 lead after an eventful first chukker, as Rivas scored two and Sufi Mohammad Aamir one. Bilal Haye and Juan Garcia Grossi shared the honours for the losing side.

In the second, Sameer Oberoi and Shah Qubilai Alam replaced Hamza Mawaz Khan and Grossi for the losing side but the winners were on song increasing their lead to 5-2 as Rivas and three-goal Hissam Ali Haider struck one each.

Tearing Bank Alfalah’s defense apart, Amro had established a 7-3 lead as Hissam contributed back-to-back, while Qubilai hit his first for the losing side.

While maintaining their attack, the winners were not ready to provide any chance of making a comeback to the losing side as they fired three more in the fourth chukker — two from Rivas and one through Sufi Haris — to make the tally as Qubilai hit his second but to only just reduce the lead.

Four-goal Diego White helped Emaar earn another win beating Guard Rice/Al Khan 9-7. Sattar Niazi and Naveed M. Sheikh entered two goals each, while Mir Shoaib Ahmad added one to complete the tally for the winners.

Manuel Crespo (3), Raja Samiullah (2), Iftikhar Ali Khan (1) and Taimur Ali Malik (1) scored for the losing side.