Artillery and hosts GB Legends Chandigarh emerged victorious on the opening day of the prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Polo Cup which marked the beginning of the Indian Polo Association Polo Season 2026 at the Chandigarh Polo Club on Sunday. The tournament is being conducted under the aegis of the Indian Polo Association in association with the Chandigarh Polo Association.
In the opening encounter of the tournament, Artillery registered a dominant 18–6 victory over Haryana which turned out to be a one-sided contest. From the beginning, Artillery looked in complete control, setting the tone with sharp attacking play and disciplined defence.
Nafedar Irfan Khan emerged as the standout performer in the first chukker with remarkable precision as he successfully converted multiple 45-yard penalties, helping his team surge ahead to a 7–4 lead. Amar Singh responded from the Haryana side with two well-taken goals. The second chukker saw Artillery tighten their grip on the game as Gunner Uday Singh Yadav played a crucial role in extending the advantage as he scored three impressive goals with scoreline 13-7 in favour of Artillery. Despite the mounting pressure, Aman Singh stood out for Haryana, emerging as their top scorer with three well-fought goals. In the third chukker, Captain Princepal Singh showcased his all-round abilities with an impressive series of excellent saves and also contributed two brilliant goals to finish the contest at 16-8.
In the second encounter, Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) began the match with a five-goal advantage on handicap. Hosts GB Legends Chandigarh quickly responded and narrowed the gap at the end of the first chukker 6-4. Lt Col Vishal Chauhan and Naveen Singh scored two goals each. In the second chukker. Exceptional crucial saves from Dilpreet Singh Sidhu helped the hosts manage to restrict RVC’s scoring. Meanwhile, in-form strikers Vishal Chauhan and Naveen Singh continued their attacking momentum, adding two goals each to help their side take with 8–7 after the second round. In the final chukker, GB Legends Chandigarh maintained complete dominance and added five more goals to their tally, sealing a convincing 13–8 victory.
The action will continue on Monday at the Chandigarh Polo Club with Artillery facing Remount Veterinary Corps in the opening match of the day followed by a clash between Mayo College Ajmer and First Steps in the second encounter
