FG Polo claimed the 63rd Allied Bank National Open Polo Championship for the Quaid e Azam Gold Cup with a 10-8 victory over Master Paints/Diamond Paints in a high-octane final at Lahore Polo Club, played before a capacity crowd of polo fans and families.
The final drew notable guests from across the country, including Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar as chief guest and Allied Bank Limited Group Head CRBG Hasnain Raza Mirza. Lahore Polo Club leadership including Malik Azam Hayat Noon, president of the club, executive committee members Feroz Gulzar and Raja Amir, and Club Secretary Maj (R) Amjad Ghafoor were present alongside a large number of former players and club members.
The match remained tightly contested through the early chukkers, but FG Polo produced a decisive performance in the closing stages to pull ahead. Raja Mikayial Sami led FG Polo’s attack with five brilliant goals, Raul Laplacette added three, while Marcos Rivarola and Amin Rahman Fazal contributed one goal each, underscoring FG Polo’s balanced scoring depth.
For Master Paints/Diamond Paints, Facundo Retamar Carnero fired in four goals and Amirreza Behbudi struck three, with Raja Temur Nadeem adding one, but their efforts fell short against FG Polo’s late surge.
Individual honours at the ceremony recognised top performers: Raja Mikayial Sami received the best Pakistani player award, Facundo Retamar was named best foreign player and also finished as the tournament’s top scorer. The best pony of the final was the mare Mandi Bola owned by Abbas Mukhtar. During the presentation, players staged a traditional tent-pegging demonstration that entertained the crowd.
The club also distributed annual staff awards in acknowledgement of service, with cash prizes and trophies presented to Admin Manager Muhammad Faisal, Polo Manager Muhammad Imran, Accounts Manager Muhammad Irfan, Club Secretary Maj (R) Amjad Ghafoor, Security In-Charge Muhammad Arif, Veterinary Doctor Dr. Hassan Siddiq, Head Groundsman Muhammad Khalid, Deputy Head Groundsman Muhammad Ali, Riding School Instructor Munawar Iqbal, Head Office Boy Muhammad Iqbal and Caretaker Khizar Hayat.
The National Open Polo Championship for the Quaid e Azam Gold Cup remains Pakistan’s premier polo event, attracting leading national and international players, and FG Polo’s triumph in this year’s final reaffirmed Lahore Polo Club’s standing as the country’s foremost venue for high-calibre polo.
