Mahra Polo wins and also makes it to the semifinals of the Dubai Challenge Cup
Mahra Polo defeated Bin Drai by 10 goals to 9 and is the second team to qualify for the semifinals of the Dubai Challenge Cup, the fourth tournament of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2017, held under the patronage of HH Sheik Maktoum Bin Mohammed.
Mahra joins Habtoor Polo in the next stage of the tournament. The remaining two spots in the semifinals will be decided tomorrow, from 11 am at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club, in a penalty shootout held by Abu Dhabi Polo Team, Wolves Polo and Bin Drai Polo.
In the first match of the day, Abu Dhabi Polo Team defeated Bangash by 9 goals to 5 and earned the right to play the penalty shootout.
Patron Faris Al Yabhouni and teammate Alfredo Capella were the top scorers of the match with 3 goals each.
Match progression:
Abu Dhabi: 2-1/ 3-1/ 4-3/ 7-4/ 9-5
The second match of the day was one of the best games of the tournament. Great polo (despite of the rainy day), two very different periods and an exciting last minute to decide the match in favor of Mahra.
Bin Drai started at full speed achieving a six goal difference at the beginning of the third chukker but Mahra made a great comeback to close the gap to 1 goal (6-7) at half time.
In the fourth chukker, patron Rashid Al Habtoor´s team tied the game in 8 goals apiece and in the last period, with a great performance by Jerónimo del Carril (top scorer of the match with 7 goals), Mahra achieved an exciting last minute victory to qualify for the semifinals of the Dubai Challenge Cup.
Match progression:
Mahra: 1-3/ 1-6/ 6-7/ 8-8/ 10-9