LAHORE: Samba Bank and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) earned close victories on the opening day of the Pakistan Polo Cup at the Lahore Polo Club ground on Tuesday.

Hissam Ali Hyder’s four goals saw Samba Bank edge past PBG/Remounts 6-4½ while a 2½-goal handicap saw PAF prevail against Olympia 5½-5.

PBG/Remounts had a 1½-goal handicap but they were undone by Hissam and Shah Shamyl Alam, who scored a brace. Samba Bank had already struck four times without reply till the end of the second chukker before Mumtaz Abbas (2) and Nicolas Ruiz Guinazu scored for the losers.

Olympia almost made up the advantage PAF held in their clash as Goffredo Cutinelli and Ahmed Zubair Butt scored twice each and Bilal Haye also got a goal. PAF, however, got the win thanks to a brace from Raja Mikael Sami and a goal from Sqn. Ldr. Hamza Iqbal.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2019