FG Polo staged a dramatic turnaround to defeat Diamond/Master Paints 5–4 in a tense final league match of the 63rd Allied Bank National Open Polo Championship for the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup at Lahore Polo Club.
The win was driven by an outstanding performance from Raja Mikayial Sami, who netted four decisive goals, while Amin Rehman added one. For Diamond/Master Paints, Sufi Haroon bin Haris scored twice, with Raja Temur Nadeem and Facundo Retamar contributing one goal each.
Diamond/Master Paints began strongly, with Raja Temur Nadeem opening the scoring with a field goal and Sufi Haroon quickly doubling the lead. Haroon struck again early in the second chukka to make it 3–0 before FG Polo found momentum when Raja Mikayial Sami converted a penalty to get them on the board.
FG Polo ramped up the pressure in the third chukka. Amin Rehman’s penalty goal and another composed finish from Raja Mikayial Sami levelled the match at 3–3, setting up a nervy second half. Facundo Retamar put Diamond/Master Paints back ahead with a fourth-chukka field goal, but the fifth chukka belonged to Raja Mikayial Sami, whose two late goals turned a one-goal deficit into a 5–4 victory for FG Polo.
The result sees both FG Polo and Diamond/Master Paints advance to the main final this Sunday at 3:00 PM, while BN Polo has been eliminated after consecutive defeats. The stage is now set for a high-stakes final in Lahore as teams compete for the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup at the culmination of the National Open.
