Producing a strong spirited performance a youthful Sports Authority of India (SAI) had things much their own way as they charged to a facile 6-1 win against Maharashtra State Police in a Super Division match of the Mumbai Hockey League 2022-2023, jointly organized by Hockey Mumbai City and Hockey Mumbai Suburbs, and played at the Don Bosco High School Hockey Turf, Matunga on Tuesday evening.
Sports Authority of India’s Sujal Saxena receives the ‘Man of the Match’ award from Clarence Lobo (left) and Madan Viswanathan.
The Maharashtra State Police outfit showed plenty of promise at the start and offered quite a strong challenge to the younger and fitter SAI players who were denied for scoring a single goal during the first two 15-minute quarters and the teams went into the break with the scoreboard blank.
However, after the change of ends, SAI showed more purpose and intent and finally broke the policemen’s resistance when Sujal Saxena opened the scoring in the second minute of the third quarter. Four minutes later SAI scored two goals in quick succession through Dharmendra Pal from a penalty stroke and a field effort by Karan Thosre to give their team a healthy 3-0 lead. Mohit Kala added one more in the 43rd minute before the policemen managed to reduce the deficit with Shrikant Kalakuti scoring their lone goal. Later, F. Zhoramsanga and Raj Pawar fired home the last two goals to complete the winning tally.
Results: Sports Authority of India 6 (Sajal Saxena, Dharmendra Pal, Karan Thosre, Mohit Kala, F. Zhoramsanga, Raj Pawar) beat Maharashtra State Police 1 (Shrikant Kalakuti).