Even on home turf, Hostel men off to a shaky start
LUCKNOW: It was yet another pathetic start of the hosts Sports Hostel in the opening match itself at the 39th edition of the All India KD Singh ‘Babu’ Memorial Men’s Hockey Tournament here on Sunday.
Playing a dull hockey, the Hostel boys never looked close to the rivals and went down meekly to Central Secretariat 0-3, at the Padma Shree Mohd Shahid Hockey Stadium as the match was watched by a handful of organziers as well as the inmates of the government-run hockey hostel, who were especially ordered to sit there.
Bhopal’s Sports Authority of India defeated North Central Railway, Allahabad by a solitary goal, whereas CAG, Delhi had to split points with HFB NCR Haryana after playing a 2-2 draw in the last league match of the day.
Even while playing on the home turf, Hostel boys, who hardly get chance to play on turf as they are based at the grassy KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium, found the going tough, almost beginning for the ball against an experienced side.
Gunasekhar M drew the first blood, converting a penalty corner in the fifth minute to expose hosts failure in defense (1-0). Iktidar Ishrat made it 2-0 within two minutes with the young defender converting yet another penalty corner into goal (2-0).
Down by two goals, Sports Hostel men didn’t show even a small courage to stage a comeback and allowed rivals to continue dictate terms before almost empty stands. Mohd Umar completed the formality in the 39th minute, striking a field goal (3-0), and thereafter, it was just the routine stuff in the middle by the two sides.
The tie between SAI (Bhopal) and NCR turned out to be a wellfought game on Sunday as they two teams kept trying hard to open the account, but to no avail till the last quarter.
It was Reemanshu, who struck the all-important in the 52nd minute to fashion team’s thrilling win.
It was HFB, in this third match, which dominated the show in the first two quarters. Ankush and Pankaj struck in the 19th and 28th minute, respectively to help their side take 2-0 lead.
But after a change in the ends, it turned out to be an altogether a different story with the two teams launching a foray of attacks on each others’ citadel. However, CAG’s repeated efforts paid rich dividends when Chandan Singh converted a PC to reduce the margin the 48th minute (1-2), before front man Deepanshu Bhargava striking a field goal to help the side split points (2-all) in the 52nd minute.
On Monday, PNB (Delhi) take on SAI (Bhubaneswar) at 11.30 a.m., Army XI meet Central Secretariat at 2.00 p.m., before CAG (Delhi) lock horns with Air India at 3.30 p.m.
EVEN WHILE PLAYING ON THE HOME TURF, HOSTEL BOYS, WHO HARDLY GET CHANCE TO PLAY ON TURF AS THEY ARE BASED AT THE GRASSY KD SINGH ‘BABU’ STADIUM, FOUND THE GOING TOUGH, ALMOST BEGINNING FOR THE BALL AGAINST AN EXPERIENCED SIDE