Habtoor Polo, fresh from its glory at the Silver Cup 2022, faced the defending champions of the Gold Cup – Ghantoot Polo – on the grounds of Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club.
Marcos (Cacu) Araya opened the match with a goal for Ghantoot and, Mohammed Al Habtoor, the patron of the Habtoor Polo team, closed the first chukker with a 1-goal advantage. The team continued the streak of goal shots and extended its lead with 2 goals. Cacu placed Ghantoot back on the scoreboard during the third chukker but Bautista Bayugar managed to keep the lead to Habtoor Polo‘s side by halftime. The penultimate chukker saw the team carve a 4-goal lead which Ghantoot closed in on but did not manage to beat. The game ended with a final score of 8 goals to 7 in favour of Habtoor Polo.
Match Progression: 2 – 1 | 4 – 1 | 6 – 4 | 8 – 4 | 8 – 7
Top scorers: Bautista Bayugar and Marcos Araya, 5 goals
Bangash Dodson & Horrell Polo team took the lead quickly from Zedan Polo at the second match of the day. Amr Zedan, the patron of the opposing team shifted the advantage by the end of the second chukker and the team kept its lead through halftime. Benjamin Panelo from Bangash levelled the game during the fourth chukker with penalty shots. His brother, Tomas Panelo, saw to it that the final chukker belongs to the Zedan Polo team as he scored 3 goals and the team took their first win in the tournament.
Match Progression: 1 – 2 | 3 – 2 | 3 – 5 | 5 – 5 | 8 – 6
Top scorers: Tomas Panelo & Benjamin Panelo, 5 goals
The next round of qualifying matches will be on the 16th of February, Field 3 of Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club.
Photos by Tony Belot and Shine TV
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