ABUJA (The Thursday Times) — Pakistan beat India 7-4 in the Zone E qualifiers for the 13th World Polo Championship in Abuja, Nigeria, and go into their final match against the hosts on Sunday unbeaten.
The match was played on Friday at the Guards Polo Club. It was Pakistan’s second straight win of the qualifiers, after they opened their campaign with a 10-6 victory over Iran.
Four teams are competing in the zone: Pakistan, India, Iran, and Nigeria. The qualifiers, held under the Federation of International Polo, run from November 9 to 16. Iran beat Nigeria 11-3 on Saturday.
Only the team that finishes first in the zone earns a place at the World Polo Championship, which will be held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from February 4 to 14, 2027. Pakistan play Nigeria in their last match on Sunday.
A weekend of wins over neighbours
The polo win came a day before Pakistan’s footballers beat Bangladesh 1-0 in Dhaka to reach their first SAFF Championship final, where they meet holders India on Tuesday.
Polo has deep roots in Pakistan’s north. The annual Shandur festival in Chitral is played on a ground about 3,700 metres above sea level, often described as the highest polo ground in the world, and the game is a fixture of village life across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.
