Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The situation looked dire for the Majaara men and their ponies from as early on as the closing moments of the first chukker. It seemed like a comfortable journey ahead for their opponents, Cavalry Red, who notched up a 4-0 lead within minutes in the final of the Sixt Samaira Cup polo tournament.
The gap between the two teams showed no signs of narrowing down thereafter, and the scoreboard looked down ominously on the Majaara team halfway through the match 8212; 7-0, it read.
The excellent ball control of Argentinean Santiago de Estrada combined with good play on the part of His Highness Lt Tunku Ismail Ibrahim of Malaysia appeared unsurpassable, and it looked certain that the last two chukkers would end with more misery for Majaara.
However, the fat lady hadn8217;t started singing just yet, and in the third chukker, all three goals were scored by Majaara.
Perhaps calling this a turnaround would be going too far, but it certainly buoyed the team and allowed them a sliver of hope as the fourth and final chukker approached. And sure enough, Majaara added a fourth within seconds of the opening.
But it turned out to be too little, too late in the face of a Cavalry side constantly on the attack, and it was Santiago who erased all doubt by scoring the eighth for his team8212;a superb lofted stroke off a seemingly impossible angle made it 8-4.
A consolation fifth goal for Majaara remained a mere statistic, and so it was Cavalry who held aloft the trophy after their 8-5 victory.
