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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan edged out India by a whisker's margin of 8-7 in the first match of the SAF Polo Challenge 2004, at Rawalpindi Polo Club on Tuesday.

India missed a 60-yards penalty at the stroke of final whistle to go down fighting in this opening game of the three-match first leg of the series, with same number of matches in the second leg to be played next month in New Delhi.

The next two matches of the first leg -- being promoted as one of the build-up activities for the forthcoming 9th SAF Games, will be played at the same venue on Friday and Saturday. Present amongst a large number of audience were the President Pakistan Polo Association, Lt. Gen. Syed Arif Hasan, President of sponsors MCB, Muhammad Mansha, and Indian High Commissioner, Shiv Shankar Menon.

India won the first chakkar by a solitary goal but the home team bounced back by winning the next two chakkars 3-0 and 2-1 and drawing the fourth 3-3, exhibiting better horsemanship and more accurate passing. Leading 8-5 at the start of fifth and final chakkar, Pakistan conceded two goals as the match came to be poised at knife's edge at 8-7 before India's Bashir Ali missed a 60-yards penalty. Bashir earlier scored four goals for his team--three in the fourth and one in the final chakkar while Ravi Rathore and Uday Kalaan came up with two and one goal respectively. Bhawani Singh was the fourth player in their team. For Pakistan, Samiullah Raja and Shah Qubalai Alam scored four goals each.

This was the second polo match between the two teams in a few months after Pakistan had won the world cup qualifier in Lahore against the arch-rivals. The umpires were Col. Zahid Umer and Dhruvpal Gotdara (India) while Col. Mujahid Umer was the referee.

"We couldn't keep up the pressure after winnig the first chakkar and then a penalty miss with 15 seconds to go let us down", Indian captain Uday Kalaan said after the match. However, he paid compliments to Pakistan team for putting up a strong fight despite losing the first chakkar. "I forecast a tough fight in the next two matches", he said.

His opposite number in the Pakistan team, Shah Qubalai Alam, lauded the efforts of his defenders Shah Shamyl Alam and Capt. Umer Minhas for providing good support to their two teammates upfront. "I also foresee good fight in the next two matches", he said, adding the series against India would be a good warm-up for the world polo in France in September for which Pakistan had already qualified.