LAHORE, Feb 17: Another fabulous performance by Jose Rivas helped ABN Amro Bank hold on to their top position in the National Polo Championship for Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup, after defeating LG/Rangers by a close margin of 9-8 on Sunday.
Rivas had a share of six goals as the bankers registered their third consecutive win to lead the points table by six points.
The losing side made a fine start, taking a 3-0 lead in the first chukker. Three-goal Julio Novillo Astrada struck his first followed by back-to-back goals from Atif Tiwana. But the bankers replied in the same fashion in the second chukker to restore the parity 3-3. Rivas fired two in a row while Hissam Ali Hyder pumped one.
The third chukker saw the bankers maintain momentum as Rivas was on song, scoring three in a row to increase the lead to 6-3.
But LG/Rangers too were not ready to give up the chase so easily. They caught up with the bankers in the first stage of the third chukker and with Asif Zahoor, Astrada and Kashif Jamal finding the net, the score was 6-6. But the bankers made it 8-6 in the dying moments of the match with Sufi Mohammad Aamir and Sufi Mohammad Haris chipping in with a goal each.
Rivas scored his final goal in the fifth chukker to make it 9-6 but saw the losing side staging a comeback as Astrada scored two to come closer before the end of regulation time.
While this is the third consecutive win for the bankers, it is the third defeat in a row for the Rangers.
Meanwhile five-goal Diego White propelled Emaar to their third win in four outings, beating Telenor 10-8. Three goals from Sattar Niazi and one each from Naveed M. Sheikh and Mir Shoaib Ahmad completed the tally. Miguel Del Carril (5), Asif Tiwana (1), Agha Murtaza Ali Khan (1) and Ahmad Nawaz Tiwana (1) were the scorers for the losing side, who after losing all of their three matches are now at the bottom in the eight-team contest.
Defending champions Bank Alfalah recorded their third win from four matches after triumphing against Lindt Chocolate 8-6 due to the fine performance of Juan Garcia Crossi, who struck six goals. Bilal Haye added two goals. Mian Hussain Iftikhar (3), Ignacio Toccalino (2) and Saqib Khan Khakwani (1) were the scorers for the losing side.