Samurai put Royal Salute to the sword: Hiromi Nzomo voted most valuable player as tournament concludes at Jamhuri Park

MARIA BENCIVENGA CUP Nairobi Polo Club and Samurai Captain Raphael Nzomo celebrate with his children Amani, Jadini and Hiromi after they won Maria Bencivenga Cup at Nairobi Polo Club on Jan 14, 2018. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The Nzomos cart away Maria Bencivenga trophy to family backyard.

Samurai edged out Royal Salute 5-4 to reclaim the Maria Bencivenga Polo Tournament trophy at Jamhuri Grounds in Nairobi yesterday.

The Nairobi Polo Club captain, Raphael Nzomo, and his son, Jadini, scored a brace each as his daughter, Hiromi, added a goal to seal the victory for the trophy they last won in 2016.

A former Nairobi Polo Club captain, Vishal Somaia, struck twice for Royal Salute as his teammates, Mike du Toit and Louis Roumeguere, added a goal each in the losing effort. 

Samurai had a splendid start in the opening chukka, taking advantage of their opponents' disunity to take a 3-1 lead before the break.

Samurai continued with their impressive performance in the second chukka, taking their tally to 4-1. Both sides scored a goal each in the third chukka, which ended 5-2 in Samurai’s favour.

The fourth chukka was a nervy affair for Samurai as Royal Salute fought back and their determination saw them pull two goals, although it was not enough to overturn the deficit as the game ended 5-4 in Samurai’s favour.

“I thank God for my parents. The unity in my family is what contributed to this victory,” Jadini said.

The most valuable player award went to Hiromi, whose defensive skills on both sides of the pitch was at another level. “This is a great honour for me. I feel appreciated. I want to thank Royal Salute too for being worthy opponents in the finals,” Hiromi said.

Samurai triumphed 4-1 against Space & Style on their way to the finals. Nzomo scored a brace as Amani and Hiromi added a goal each in the one-sided match.

The Space & Style captain, Lorenzo Soriano, scored the lone goal for his side, who were relegated to the subsidiary tie. On the other hand, Somaia scored a brace against R.J Polo to lead Royal Salute to the finals with a 2-0 win.

 “The contest was fast and beginners found it hard to cope. Most players used the occasion to test their newly acquired ponies ahead of the Kenya Open,” Nzomo said.