St. Stanislaus, Bandra and Kendra Vidyalaya, Ambernath were engaged in an engrossing tussle for supremacy before the former managed to scrape through, winning by a close 2-1 margin in the Boys final of the Ambernath Hockey Welfare Association organised 8th Joe Fernandis Memorial 9-a-side instant hockey tournament 2018 and played at the St. Stanislaus astro turf ground, Bandra. This tournament was previousy played on a mud ground in Ambernath and for the first time the event was conducted on an artificial surface.
The St. Stanislaus players are all smiles as they pose with the ‘Champions’ trophy along with Olympians Marcellus Gomes, Joaquim Carvalho and Mervyn Fernandis after winning the Boys final of the Ambernath Hockey Welfare Association organised 8th Joe Fernandis Memorial 9-a-side instant hockey tournament.
Playing on their home turf, St. Stanislaus held the upper hand and dictated term initially and took an early lead through Gilchrist Cabral’s penalty corner conversion in the sixth minute and went into the break with a slender 1-0 advantage.
Immediately on resumption, Stanislaus doubled the lead when they were awarded a penalty stroke which was converted by Saurabh Mayekar.
Despite trailing 0-2, the Ambernath lads showed plenty of gumption and fighting spirit and managed to cut the deficit with their enterprising skipper Yash Yadav finding the target from a field effort in the 26th minute. Stanislaus tightened their grip and did not allow any more goals to leak in and went on to emerge victorious.
The Stanislaus boys received the ‘Champions’ trophy and the individual awards from Chief Guest Stanley and Velvina Thomas. Guest of Honour Anna Pereira presented the runner-up trophy and prizes to Kendra Vidyalaya lads. Yash Yadav was declared ‘Player of the tournament’ and received an award.
Earlier, in the semi-finals, Kendra Vidyalaya blanked India Rush Hockey Club 2-0 with captain Yash scoring the first goal from a field effort in the fifth minute and the added the second when he converted a penalty stroke in the second half.
In the second match, St. Stanislaus stormed to a 2-0 win against Children Academy, Malad by a comfortable2-0 margin. Kris Albuquerque netted both the goal for the Bandra lads.
Results – Boys (final): St. Stanislaus, Bandra 2 (Gilchrist Cabral 6-PC, Saurabh Mayekar 21-PS) beat Kendra Vidyalaya, Ambernath 1 (Yash Yadav 26).
Semi-finals: St. Stanislaus, Bandra 2 (Kris Albuquerque 2) beat Children Academy, Malad 0.
Kendra Vidyalaya, Ambernath 2 (Yash Yadav 2) beat India Rush Hockey Club 1 (Govind Sharma Nag).
(Note: The tournament was organized by Olympian Mervyn Fernandis in memory of his father Joe Fernandis).