Polo: Baringo Senator Gideon stars as Royal Salute register victory

INTERNATIONAL POLO TOURNAMENT Royal Salute's Gideon Moi during the International Polo tournament at Nairobi Polo Club on Sept 15, 2017. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Winners stage good show as event continues at Jamhuri.

Baringo Senator Gideon Moi notched a hat-trick to lead his Royal Salute to victory against Space & Style 5.5-4 at the ongoing Kenya International Polo tournament at Nairobi Polo Club in Jamhuri.

The winners had started the match with a fraction advantage and dictated the proceedings that gave Gideon the leeway to notch the opening goal for Royal Salute to take a 1.5-0 lead at the end of the chukka.

Gideon, playing off handicap one, resumed the second chukka with the same vigour and the determination paid off within the second minute as he capitalised on a goalmouth melee at the opponents’ defence to slot in another goal.

Space & Style fought back and pulled one back through Gordon Murray in the dying minutes of the period although the chukka ended 2.5-1 in favour of Royal Salute.

The third chukka was a big test for the two sides that embarked on a man to man marking to see no goal scoring chances.

National team captain and handicap 4.5 player Jamie Murray, who is fresh from leading Kenya at the Prince Wales Cup that concluded in South Africa last Sunday, contained the threat from Gideon.

At the same time, Kimoi Moi kept Gordon in check as his other teammates Lorenzo Soriano and Henry Limb stopped Space & Style’s Nikki Barlow and Imogen Voorpuy from mounting instantaneous attacks for the tight chukka to end goalless.

The fourth chukka took an opposite trend with goals’ galore for both sides. Jamie oozed class as he hit the opponent’s goal line thrice.

His feat did not last long as Royal Salute replied with three goals from Limb, Soriano and Gideon to seal a 5.5-4 victory. “This was a tight game and the brilliant displayed in the match shows how teams are well prepared,” said Kimoi.