Powered by centre-forward Chandan Aind’s fine hat-trick, defending champions Army XI, Bengaluru shot back to winning form as they marched to an easy 6-1 win over qualifiers Union Bank of India, Mumbai in a Pool-A round-robin league match of the 11th PMC Bank-Guru Tegh Bahadur Gold Cup All India Hockey Tournament, being organised by the Mumbai Hockey Association Limited (MHAL) and played at the MHAL-Mahindra Stadium, Churchgate on Friday. Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative (PCM) Bank is the sponsors of this tournament, which is being organised under the auspices of Hockey India.
Union Bank of India’s forward Rajendra Pawar (centre) controls the ball, as he attempts to get past Army XI defenders .
In the last match of the day, international Yuvraj Walmiki also registered a hat-trick scoring three brilliant goals as Central Railway after leading 2-0 at the break scored three goals in the final eight minutes to post a 7-3 win against Northern Railway in Pool-B. Besides Walmiki’s goals, Central got the other goals through Deepak Lakra, Narad Bahadur, Mohd Nizam and Aafan Yusuf. For Northern Railway Harsahib Singh scored the first goal before Sukhman Singh got the other two, one from a penalty stroke.
The Army outfit, who had succumbed to a stunning 2-6 defeat against ONGC on Thursday, looked to be a much improved lot. They were sharper in attack and after initial probing finally forged ahead when Chandan Aind struck his and the team’s first goal in the 14th minute. Aind got his second from a penalty corner conversion in the 23rd minute and completed his hat-trick from another penalty corner in the 66th minute. In between those goals, Uday Bara (21st), Biraj Ekka (25th) and Gurpreet Singh (38th) got the other three goals. Union Bank of India scored a late consolation goal through Rajendra Pawar in the 68th minute. It was the first win for Army in two games and the second successive loss for Union Bank.
In the first match of the day, a resurgent Western Railway, Mumbai, who had earlier suffered a humiliating 1-8 defeat to ONGC on Wednesday, bounced back in contention with a hard-fought 3-2 win against BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited), Bengaluru in a Pool-A match. This is the first win for Western in two games and for BPCL, who were also playing their second game, it was first loss after their handsome 6-1 win against Union Bank earlier.
Amit Rohidas converted a penalty corner to give Western a 4th minute 1-0 lead. But BPCLfought back and five minutes later restored parity through Hari Prasad’s field goal before Western regained the lead when Manpreet Singh struck also from hey ha field effort as the teams went into the break with the Mumbai team leading 2-1.
Western increased their lead when Malak Singh scored from an indirect penalty corner conversion in the 60th minute. BPCL once again put up a fight and cut the lead when Hari Prasad sounded the boards with an angular hit from the right in the 63rd minute. But a minute later he let his team down as he failed to beat Western goalkeeper Saurabh Singh after picking up Ravi Pal’s brilliant through pass. In the remaining period BPCL forced two short corners but both went in vain.
Results – Pool-A: Western Railway 3 (Amit Rohidas 4th-pc, Manpreet Singh 16th, Malak Singh 60th-pc) beat BPCL 2 (Hari Prasad 9th, 63rd).
Army XI 6 (Chandan Aind 19th, 23rd-pc, 66th-pc, Uday Bara 21st, Biraj Ekka 25th, Gurpreet Singh 38th) beat Union Bank of India 1 (Rajendra Pawar 68th).
Pool-B: Central Railway 7 (Yuvraj Walmiki 6th, 40th, 62nd, Deepak Lakra 33rd, Narad Bahadur 44th-pc, Mohd Nizam 68th, Aafan Yusuf 70th) beat Northern Railway 3 (Harsahib Singh 21st-pc, Sukhman Singh 57th-pc, 64th-ps).
Saturday fixtures
1.00 pm: ONGC vs Union Bank of India (Pool-A).
3.00 pm: Air India vs Northern faern Railway (Pool-B).
5.00 pm: Indian Oil vs Central Railway (Pool-B).