IMPHAL, NOV 27: Manipur booked its place in the final of the 15th Manipur Polo International 2025 after defeating the USA 7–4 in its last round-robin match on Wednesday. With four wins in as many games, Manipur topped the league table with 12 points and will now face second-placed Colombia in the title clash on 29 November at Mapal Kangjeibung.
Colombia finished the league stage with 7 points from four matches, winning two, losing one and drawing one.
Despite the victory, Manipur made an unusually subdued start. For the first time in this year’s tournament, the defending champions failed to score in the opening chukkar— a stark contrast to previous matches where they dominated early, scoring 5–0 against Chhattisgarh, 5–2 against India A and 3–0 against Colombia in the first chukkar alone. The USA held firm in the opening minutes, and young Daniel Coleman put them ahead 1–0 by the end of the first chukkar.
Manipur regrouped in the second chukkar, with captain T. Pradeep Kumar scoring twice to turn the match around. The USA couldn’t add to its tally and trailed 1–2 going into the third chukkar. Manipur extended the lead through goals from Pradeep and Bon Bon, while the USA earned a penalty goal to keep the margin at 4–2.
The home side finally hit top gear in the fourth chukkar. A rejuvenated attack saw Leishemba score all three goals for Manipur. The USA managed two more—one through another penalty and one from Zackary—but it wasn’t enough to stop Manipur from sealing a comfortable 7–4 win.
Manipur now heads into the final with an unbeaten record and strong momentum, setting up an exciting rematch with Colombia.
