Jaipur, Nov 24 (IANS) The Kashmir Challenge Cup concluded on Sunday with the Jaipur Polo Team, captained by Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur, defeating Kanota Polo 9–5 in an exciting game at the Rajasthan Polo Club.

In Jaipur, their captain, Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh, and South African polo star Lance Watson maintained their flawless performance throughout the tournament, scoring four and five goals respectively.

This was the third encounter between the two teams since they were placed in the same pool at the start of the tournament, with Jaipur winning all matches.

Jaipur began aggressively, with Lance Watson scoring two early goals (1:25 and 6:35), leading his team to a 2–0 advantage. Kanota Polo, meanwhile, couldn’t find the target in the opening period.

In the second chukker, Jaipur maintained their momentum as Lance Watson scored again at 3:35 to extend their lead to 3–0. When Kanota Polo appeared to be struggling, they responded with a counterattack, netting goals from Ashok Chandna at 4:00 and Dino Dhankhar at 6:40. However, Jaipur still led 3–2 at the midpoint of the game.

The third chukker featured fast-paced scoring from both teams. Jaipur’s Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh scored twice (at 1:20 and 5:40), while Lance Watson contributed with an additional goal at 4:10.

Kanota responded with two goals from Hurr Ali at 5:46 and 6:35. By the end of the chukker, Jaipur led 7–4. Jaipur dominated the final chukker, scoring again at 0:54 to extend their lead to 8–4. Hurr Ali added Kanota’s last goal at 1:40, but a last-minute shot from Lance Watson secured the victory for Jaipur, ending the match 9–5.

Jaipur has now secured four trophies in the Indian Polo Season, with more than half the season remaining.

–IANS

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