LAHORE, Jan 1: Two matches were decided in the Marry Max-II Cup polo tournament on opening day at the Lahore Polo Club ground on Tuesday.
Three goals by seasoned campaigner Asif Yar Tiwana and two goals each by Taimur Mawaz Khan and Hafiz Bilal awarded Marry Max a splendid victory of 8 - 5 1/2 against Remount Whites. Shah Qubilai Alam added one goal for the winners.
For the losers, Haseeb Minhas struck a hat trick but his efforts fell short to save his team from defeat. He scored three goals while Ahmad Khan and Captain Shaharyar Khan contributed one goal each. Half goal was the handicap of the losing side.
Marry Max started the match on a fast note as they scored three goals, one each through Taimur Mawaz Khan, Malik Asif Yar Tiwana and Hafiz Bilal, in the first chukker. In the dying minutes of the first chukker, Haseeb Minhas reduced the margin (one and a half goal to three) for Remount Whites by scoring a field goal.
Haseeb Minhas earned the laurel of scoring hat trick in the second chukker when he struck two back to back goals, crowning field efforts.
That also brought Remount Whites ahead by 3 1/2 - 3 and a half goals to three.
But it was their lone achievement as Marry Max struck four goals in a row till the conclusion of the third chukker to make it in their favour by convincing margin of 7- 3 1/2.
Hafiz Bilal scored the fourth goals of his team and his second by converting a 30 yard penalty hit. Asif Yar Tiwana scored two more goals converting 30 and 40 yarders hits while Taimur Mawaz capitalised a field effort to score his second goal.
Remounts Whites tried to stage a come back in the fourth chukker but could score only two goals through Ahmad Khan and Captain Shehryar. But Shah Qubilai Alam again increased the margin by scoring a field goal for the winners to make the tally.
Teams:
Marry Max: Bilal Hayee (0), Taimur Mawaz Khan (2), Shah Qubilai Alam (3), Malik Asif Yar Tiwana (3)
Remount Whites: Khushi (0), Capt Shehryar (1), Ahmad Khan (3), Capt Haseeb Minhas (3).
Two goals each by Sufi Aamir, Samiullah and Manzoor Shah helped Remounts Maroon to beat Millat Tractors by 6 - 2 1/2 two and a half, in other match of the day.
For Millat Tractors which enjoyed one and a half goals on the handicap, Haseeb Mehta scored the solitary goal.
Sufi Amir and Samiullah had eliminated the Millat Tractors lead on handicap by the end of the first chukker by scoring one goal each.
Remounts Maroon further surged ahead when Sufi Amir scored his second goal in the second chukker before Haseeb Mehtha crowned a field effort to score lone goal for the losers.
In the third chukker, Manzoor Shah further built the lead of the Remounts Maroon by scoring the solitary goal of the chukker.
In the fourth chukker, Samiullah and Manzoor Shah added one goal each to complete a facile win.
Teams:
Remounts Maroon: Sufi Amir (0), Manzoor Shah (1), Samiullah (3), Khurshid (4).
Millat Tractors: Ahmad Nawaz Tiwana (0), Haseeb Mehta (2), Raja Sattar (3), Husain Iftikhar (6).