Godara beats Jindal Steel, singlehandedly

A brief move that lasted barely 10 seconds in the sixth and the final chukker, captured the Indian Open Polo Championship final in all its glory. SSC-HPRC's Sameer Suhag half-cleared, half-passed the ball from in front of the goal to Dhruvpal Godara, who in a breathtaking fashion made a solo dash towards the opposite direction. Jindal Steel and Power's Tom de Bruin whipped his pony furiously and almost caught up with Godara, but the latter held him off and kept his nerve in front of the goalmouth to calmly tap in. HPRC 6:5 Jindal Steel.

There were, too, another half a dozen accomplished players, but Sunday afternoon at the Jaipur Polo Grounds was primarily about these two gentlemen. Dhruvpal scored all seven goals for his team, de Bruin four out of his team's six as HPRC emerged winners by the slimmest of margins — 7-6.

The margin was also no more than perhaps a few centimeters, as de Bruin tragically hit wide a 30-yard undefended penalty -- polo's equivalent of a spot kick (only minus the goalkeeper) -- just before the final buzzer. A goal would have taken the game into an extra chukker, and the spectators into seven more minutes of an engrossing duel. But de Bruin blinked and missed.

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