HE Shuja Alam renews bonds of friendship affirmed in All Ireland Polo Club’s Pakistan Cup
HIS Excellency Shuja Alam, Ambassador of Pakistan in Ireland renewed bonds of friendship with the All Ireland Polo Club in Dublin when he presented the Pakistan Cup to the tournament’s winning team.
WorkPal’s Emmett Connolly head to head against Pegus Animal Feed’s David J Stone in the final. Image credit: Kim Mullahey
AIPC Honorary Secretary Niamh Fawl (left) and former polo player Carol Stone at the end of season barbecue
Tyrone team head of transport Sean O’Neill raises a pint of Guinness to mark the end of the Irish summer polo season
Brothers in barbecue, polo players Paul Ronan (left) and David J Stone manned the grill for a hungry crowd at the end of season party
The prestigious Cup was first presented at the AIPC in the 1980s by the government of Pakistan. His Excellency renewed bonds of friendship at the AIPC on 12 September when he presented the trophy to 4 Goal tournament team winners WorkPal along with prizes sponsored by Pynck.com and Horseware.
“Thank you, I enjoyed every minute of it,” said Ambassador Shuja Alam on presenting the Cup to Ian Magahey, James Connolly, Keelan McCarthy and Emmitt Connolly of WorkPal. “Thank you for the opportunity to establish new bonds in polo.”
Jane Ronan received a warm welcome when she arrived at the end of season party with sweet treats, chaperoned by Carol Stone
Claire and Lar Sheeran, also known as the voice of Irish polo at the end of season party
Polo player Mark Stone (l-r), Hannah Magahey, player Brad Rainford-Blackett, Michelle and Hugo Stone, player Ian Magahey and Sadhbh Stone at the end of season party
Pakistan Cup match commentator Lar Sheeran wearing a vintage helmet while holding a picture of the Wexford Ireland born Roark brothers team from the early 20th Century with Fayyaz Sharif, who introduced Ambassador Shuja Alam at the AIPC in Dublin Ireland
WorkPal, one of five higher goal teams in the final had come through the second half of the Irish summer polo season, culminating in the Pakistan Cup ahead of the highly favoured LHK in tournament qualifiers on 11 September and Pegus Horse Feed, their eventual opponents in the final match. All of the teams, heavily represented at the end of season party on the evening before were ready for action on the occasion of the Ambassador’s attendance.
Although Pegus Horse Feed in the final would score just one goal while the nominally weaker WorkPal accumulated 4.5 goals including the half-goal handicap advantage, renewed bonds of friendship between the AIPC and Pakistan’s polo playing community were reaffirmed by Fayyaz Sharif, a new player based at Polo Wicklow and Bishopland Polo Club and instrumental in bringing the Ambassador to the Pakistan Cup final.
“(The Ambassador) comes from a polo-playing family in Pakistan,” said Fayyaz Sharif. “We were having a chat (recently) and we may bring the winners (of the Pakistan Cup next year) to Pakistan to play a friendly match.”
AIPC Polo Manager and Treasurer David Stone of the Pakistan Cup runner-up Pegus Horse Feed team was presented with the season’s Most Valuable Player award by Ambassador Shuja Alam
Pegus Animal Feed’s Mark Stone, John Corbett and David J Stone (l-r), Keelan McCarthy for WorkPal in the final
Irfran Hameed of the Pakistan-Ireland Business Council (l-r), Fayyaz Sharif, Pakistan Cup winners Kellan McCarthy, James Connolly, Ian Magahey, Emmett Connolly and Ambassador Shuja Alam
Pakistan Cup main sponsor Jacqueline O’Neill, CEO and founder of Pynck.com (l-r); Stanley Corcoran Cup winners Tara and Luca Moore (l-r), Jennifer Doyle, Siobhan Herbst, Tom Small and AIPC Vice-President Paul Monahan, who presented the Cup
The lower handicapped winners of four teams competing for the 0 Goal Stanley Corcoran Cup also earned prizes sponsored by Pynck.com and Horseware, won by Wexford with 7 goals to 6 from Polo Wicklow.
Tags: AIPC Pakistan Cup Stanley Corcoran Cup #irishpolo
Image credits: Kim Mullahey
