Flood ravaged Pakistan remembered at the All Ireland Polo Club end of season final

by Kim Mullahey · Published September 16, 2022 · Updated September 16, 2022

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THE Pakistan Embassy in Ireland Charge d’Affaires, Mr Shahid Iqbal was at the All Ireland Polo Club in Dublin recently to present the Pakistan Cup, one of the finest in a collection spanning nearly 150 years.

The season ended at the All Ireland Polo Club in Dublin Ireland with the Pakistan Cup Tournament, one of the favourites in the summer calendar

Dr Fayyaz Sharif (l-r), All Ireland Polo Club President Paul Monahan, Pakistan Embassy in Ireland Charge d’Affaires Mr Shaid Iqbal, team captain Ian Magahey accepting the Pakistan Cup, Hannah Corbett, Siobhan Herbst and James Connolly

Mr Iqbal was at the AIPC on 11 September, marking the second year for the embassy to present the Cup. This year however was marked with sadness, that a planned reciprocal match for Ireland in Pakistan could not go ahead due to the relentless flooding that has recently plagued regions of the country.

“Last year we had planned for games in Pakistan for a polo match,” said Dr Fayyaz Sharif on behalf of the embassy when prizes were presented to winning team Glenpatrick. “Pakistan (has been) awash and (is) suffering. The relentless impact of flooding has caused disasters.”

The disaster is estimated to have displaced 35 million people with thousands more believed to be dead. Homes have been destroyed as well as crops and livestock while the financial impact on the country is estimated at more than PKR10 billion, or more than €42 million.

“People are suffering,” Dr Sharif explained about a region in Pakistan that includes his home village and on finding relief from the NPO he supports. “The people on the ground are evacuating people, bringing them to dry land, giving them food and shelter.”

Pakistan Embassy in Ireland Charge d’Affaires Mr Shahid Iqbal with Pakistan Cup the Wexford runners-up team Johnny Hearne (l-r), John Flavin, Paddy Casey and Tom Small with All Ireland Polo Club President Paul Monahan

Pakistan Embassy in Ireland Charge d’Affaires Mr Shahid Iqbal (l-r), Pynck.com CEO and founder Jacqueline O’Neill, sponsor of the Pakistan Tournament Best Team Player Award presented to Siobhan Herbst, All Ireland Polo Club President Paul Monahan. Top Irish polo player Siobhan also took home the Treo Eile retraining racehorses prize for Best Playing Thoroughbred Are You Serious

The non-profit Al Mustafa Trust organisation at https://almustafatrust.org.pk earned the support of Pynck.com in prize presentations to Glenpatrick on their tournament final win against Wexford with the donation matched in kind by the family of Dr Fayyaz Sharif.

“On behalf of Pynck.com the donation was a small token from us for the appeal,” said Pynck.com CEO and founder Jacqueline O’Neill when she presented relief funds for flood victims. “Thank you everybody for coming today and especially the players.”

In a recent message received just days after the tournament final, Ahmed Nawaz of the Al Mustafa Trust expressed his thanks for donations made at the Pakistan Cup saying: ‘It is sheer devastation there. I am from the interior part of Sindh Province and sad to say, 95 percent of crops are gone. We will see an economic crisis very soon.

All Ireland Polo Club commentator Lar Sheeran called the Pakistan Cup final between Glenpatrick and Wexford in torrential rain

The always changing Irish weather nearly got the best of the Pakistan Cup Tournament, but the teams played on despite waterlogged ground and torrential downpours at the All Ireland Polo Club in Dublin Ireland

‘Human lives are suffering with standing water-borne diseases. People on higher ground (are) in open skies with (pieces) of plastic on their heads to cover.

‘Any help from you and your organisation will be delivered to the deserving people and we promise that.’

The Al Mustafa Trust delivers primary care to villages across Pakistan, treating malaria and cholera while providing disaster relief, coordinating from headquarters in the United States and the UK.