Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], January 25 : Jindal Bedla booked their place in the final of the Rajmata Gayatri Devi Memorial Cup after edging past V Polo in a thrilling golden goal finish at the Rajasthan Polo Club, Jaipur, according to a release.
The semi-final lived up to expectations as both teams remained locked at 6-6 after four hard-fought chukkers, forcing the match into a sudden-death extra chukker on Saturday.
The contest was evenly balanced throughout, with strong defence and disciplined play from both sides. V Polo and Jindal Bedla exchanged goals across the four chukkers, neither team able to break away. In the fourth chukker, Siddhant Sharma scored twice to bring Jindal Bedla level and keep his team in the contest under pressure.
With the scores tied at the end of regulation time, the match moved into a fifth chukker. The tension was finally broken when Rao Himmat Singh Bedla scored the decisive golden goal, sealing a 7-6 victory for Jindal Bedla and sending them into the tournament final, set for today.
Speaking after the match, Siddhant Sharma reflected on the intensity of the contest and the narrow margin between the two teams. "It was a very tough match and could have gone either way. Santiago is a very good friend of mine, so playing against him made it even more special. We were a bit lucky to get the golden goal, and sometimes in polo that moment of luck makes all the difference," he said.
Siddhant also spoke about the team environment and its role in their success. "The professionalism, infrastructure, and opportunities I've had with this team have helped me improve as a player. Competing at this level and reaching the final after such a close game is something we're really proud of," he added.
The win highlighted the strong coordination within the Jindal Bedla lineup of Rao Himmat Singh Bedla, Venkatesh Jindal, Phil Seller, and Siddhant Sharma. With this dramatic semi-final victory, Jindal Bedla now move into the final of the Rajmata Gayatri Devi Memorial Cup, where they will face Optiemus Achievers on Sunday at the Rajasthan Polo Club.
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