Jaipur was in full swing to get into action with RPC Cup – 6 goals from 30th August 2021.
Divided into two pools, a total of eight teams had come down to participate in the competitive tournament.
What lies ahead in the tournament, unfolded itself with the passage of each match to finally witness the winners lift the prestigious trophy on 5th September 2021 at Rambagh Polo Club, Jaipur.
DAY 1
Close calls, tight grip and a day with some enormous action packed performances- that’s the only way we can sum up the first day of the Jaipur Polo Season.
With the 6 goal RPC Cup in action, the first day of the tournament witnessed two matches played simultaneously at the Cavalry Ground, Jaipur.
We had Army Service Corps and V Polo against one another for one of the two matches. Army Service Corps started off the game with an advantage of 0.5 goals. As the game began, the calls were definitely tough on who would seize the day for themselves. But with Samir Suhag in the Army Service Corps, it was the experience that made them come out victorious with 7.5 goals to 6.
The other match had 10 D Polo vs Velocity 48. The action remained neck to neck with the scoreboard cheering out close scores for both the teams. While it was a collective collaboration of all the players in deciding on the fate of the play, it was Vandit Golechha from Velocity 48 who outshined to bring victory to his team with 9 goals to 7.
DAY 2
Rain drops and spirits on top, a morning of great enthusiasm; even rainfall had to stop!
With the Jaipur Polo Season in full swing, the second day of the 6 goal RPC Cup witnessed two league matches today at the Cavalry Ground, Jaipur.
The matches scheduled for 31.08.21 were postponed due heavy rainfall. Even so, the rain couldn’t overpower the willingness of the players and that is how the second day of the cup was rescheduled for today.
The first match held in the morning at 8:00 am, had 61st Cavalry and Rajnigandha Achievers playing against one another. For 61st cavalry, the ace player Dhruvpal Godara scored 3 goals accompanied by 2 goals from Maj Aman Singh and one from Capt. ARS Warriach.
On the other hand Andres Vial scored 5 goals for Rajnigandha Achievers with 2 goals added by Basheer Ali and 1 by Ashok Chandna marching their way towards victory with the scoreboard reading 8-6.
Ransher Singh Rathore and Siddhant Sharma were the match umpires.
With gloomy skies above the green grass field, the second match of the day started off with great hopes. Played between teams Los Polistas and Krishna Polo the match began with supreme verve but had to stop untimely just a few minutes into first chukker due to heavy downpour.
DAY 3
2nd September 2021 marked a long polo day during the Jaipur Polo Season. Starting as early as 9 in the morning, the polo day began with a striking penalty shot between the Los Polistas/Kanota Polo team and Krishna Polo after rains washed out the plans of the play the previous day. The penalty shots were won by the Los Polistas/Kanota Polo Team, soon after which, the first league match of the day got into action.
The Cavalry Ground, Jaipur witnessed Velocity 48 and Krishna Polo against each other. With an advantage of 0.5 goals, Krishna Polo began the play, and also turned the tables in its favor by winning the match with 6.5 goals to 5.
The second match played at Cavalry Ground had 10 D Polo and Los Polistas/Kanota Polo Team against one another. With Lance Watson in full swing for his team Los Polistas/Kanota Polo Team, the match ended up in their favor with 9 goals to 4.
After an interval of a few hours, the tournament got into play at 3:30 p.m.
The third match took place at Cavalry Ground between 61 Cavalry and Army Service Corps. For the match, Vandit Golechha replaced Samir Suhag due to which Army Service Corps were given an advantage of 2 goals as per the polo rules. After some curious competition, the match wrapped in favor of 61 Cavalry with 8 goals to 4.
The last match of the day took into action at the Rambagh Polo Ground, Jaipur where Rajnigandha Achievers went neck to neck with V Polo. The match remained one-sided throughout, even after V Polo had some phenomenal talent in the team. But as the play might have it, Rajnigandha Achievers seized the day with 13 goals to 2.
DAY 4
Jaipur Polo Season witnessed the semi finals of the 6 goal RPC cup on 4th September 2021.
Two matches were scheduled for the day back to back at two different venues; the Cavalry Ground and Rambagh Polo Ground.
The first match of the day held at the Cavalry Ground witnessed one of the most thrilling matches of this season played between 61st Cavalry and Los Polistas.
The latter dominated the first chukker but 61st cavalry went neck to neck with a score of 5 all at the end of the fourth chukker which resulted in the fifth chukker. For Los Polistas, Lance Watson bagged 4 goals accompanied by one goal by Kuldeep Singh Rathore. The match ended up in favour of 61st Cavalry with 6 goals to 5. Dhruvpal Godara and Capt ARS Warriach scored 2 goals each with 1 each added by Maj Mritunjay Singh and Maj Aman Singh.
Umpires keeping a hawk eye on the match were Vandit Golechha and Vicky Nihalani.
The second match scheduled for the day held at Rambagh Polo Ground had Krishna Polo playing against Rajnigandha Achievers. For Krishna Polo, Col Ravi Rathore (Retd) scored 2 goals accompanied by 1 goal each by Sunny Patel and Jayvir Singh Gohil. On the other hand, Dino Dhankhar and Ashok Chandna scored 1 goal each accompanied with 3 goals by Adres Vial, but Basheer Ali outshined to bring Rajnigandha Achievers into the finals tomorrow scoring 7 goals for his team with a total score of 12 goals to 4.
Umpires : Lt Col Arjun Patil and Naveen Singh.
FINALE
It wasn’t the rain that restrained the players from playing, it was the safety of the horses and players that made officials take this decision. The much awaited finale of the 6 goal RPC Cup scheduled for 05.09.21 between 61st Cavalry and Rajnigandha Achievers held at RPC Ground, Jaipur was cancelled due to heavy rainfall. After one whole week of high speed and spirit, the two teams shared the trophy as they were declared as joint winners of the tournament.
