PSCB, CRPF and CISF in quarters
LUCKNOW : Hot and humid conditions continued to sizzle Lucknow as well as the players on a day when PSCB, CRPF and CISF confirmed their berths in the quarterfinals of the 7th Senior National Hockey Championship 2017 (Men) ‘B’ Division on Friday.
At least 12 teams out of 26 had to face the scorching sun at the two venues for the event. A player almost fainted at the Padmashree Mohd Shahid stadium in Gomti Nagar during the afternoon match, when the temperature crossed 40 degrees Celsius.
After sustaining minor injury during the play, the player refused to return to the field again. “I felt suffocated as it was too hot and humid. I didn’t know this was going to happen otherwise I would have avoided playing. It is risky to play under such conditions,” he said.
The ball pickers, mostly young players from KD Singh ‘Babu’ Society, who had to take care of ball for all seven matches slated for the day at the Padmashree Mohd Shahid stadium also found it hard to stay for long in the middle. “It was so scorching that I had to cover my face with my scarf,” said Sandeep Kumar, who was also kept waiting for his lunch.
Situation at the Major Dhyanchand stadium was no different. “I even requested the grounds men to continue spraying water on us through sprinklers as it was quite tough,” said a player on condition of anonymity.
Ten matches each are scheduled for Sunday and Monday. “There is no use of allowing 56 teams to play in a national championship. Hockey India should conduct B and A division matches in two different cities so that it could be held in the morning and evening alone,” a coach in Hockey India suggested.
Meanwhile, star-studded PSPB notched up their fourth successive win to top the Pool A with 12 points. They defeated Hockey Rajasthan 11-0 on Friday. CISF blanked out Hockey Him 3-0 to top Pool C.
In other matches of the day, Hockey Bengaluru beat Assam Hockey 5-3, Hockey Madhya Pradesh beat Hockey Gujarat 16-0, Hockey Coorg beat Sports Authority of Gujarat Hockey Academy 3-2, Punjab National Bank beat Kerala Hockey 14-2, Central Secretariat beat Goans Hockey 15-0, Hockey Puducherry beat Dadra and Nagar Haveli Hockey Association 4-3, Bengal Hockey Association beat Tripura Hockey 22-0, Hockey Unity of Tamil Nadu beat Chhattisgarh Hockey 2-0, Hockey Himachal beat Hockey Bihar 8-2, Sashastra Seema Bal beat J&K 6-1 and Manipur Hockey beat Hockey Madhya Bharat 6-1.
SATURDAY’S FIXTURES
At Mohd Shahid stadium
(7.30 am): Hockey Maharashtra vs Major Port Sports Control Board; 9.00 am: Hockey Rajasthan vs Telangana Hockey; 4.30 pm: Delhi Hockey vs Hockey Andaman and Nicobar. At Major Dhyanchand stadium (7.30 am): Central Reserve Police Force vs Hockey Andhra Pradesh; 9.00 am: Central Industrial Security Force vs Vidarbha Hockey Association; 4.30 pm: Hockey Coorg vs Hockey Uttarakhand.