Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Bihar, Uttar Pradesh Hockey sight last-8 berth
Skipper Taleb Shah scored 3 in hosts easy win
Pune: Hosts Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Bihar and Uttar Pradesh Hockey kept themselves in line for a quarterfinal berth logging their second wins in their respective matches and pools in the 11th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship Pimpri Chinchwad 2021 at the Major Dhyanchand Hockey Stadium, Nehrunagar-Pimpri on Tuesday.
Hockey Maharashtra comprehensively downed Chhattisgarh Hockey 9-2 and likewise, Hockey Bihar defeated Hockey Mizoram 4-0 to share top position in Pool H. Both teams with six points each will clash on Thursday to decide who would advance to the quarterfinals. Hockey Maharashtra holds the aces ahead of this clash with a better goal average of +25 as against +6 of Bihar.
The home side was led by a three-goal effort by Taleb Shah (4th, 30th, 55th), Pratap Shinde (34th, 42nd) and Mohd. Nizamuddin (47th, 50th) in a match they dominated but allowed Chhattisgarh Hockey to breach their defence.
Hockey Maharashtra had Venkatesh Kenche (11th) and Tikkaram Thakulla (15th) add a goal each to the tally.
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Chhattisgarh Hockey had Kartik Yadav (16th) and Junaid Ahmed (35th) reduce the margin.
In Pool-C, Uttar Pradesh Hockey subdued Hockey Jharkhand 3-0 and made it two-out-of-two wins and took their tally to 6 points. Faraz Mohd (4th) and a brace by Ajay Yadav (15th, 56th) accounted for the tally.
Also lining up for a place in the last-8 are Odisha and Hockey Bengal in Pool F. Both played out an exciting draw leaving them level on 4 points with a win-draw from the two matches they played.
KO spot open, Bengal, Odisha draw
The day began with Hockey Bengal staging a brilliant comeback to hold Odisha 3-3 trailing 0-3 in a Pool-F encounter. Odisha, with goals from Abhijeet Swain (12th) and Sibren Lakra (15th); Rahul Ekka (28th) completed the first half with a comfortable lead. Interestingly, Rahul’s strike brought up the 200th goal of the tournament.
Hockey Bengal, then, turned tables in the second half. First match five-goal hero Raushan Kumar (32nd) reduced the scoreline, and then two goals by Nitesh Neupane (46th and 53rd – penalty corner) levelled scores.
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Both Odisha and Hockey Bengal are tied for the top spot in the pool with 4 points (2 matches). Likewise, both have a similar goal difference of +8 leaving it all to their last pool matches to decide who moves into the quarter-finals.
In another match in Pool-F, Hockey Gujarat won a seven-goal thriller against Goans Hockey 4-3. For Hockey Gujarat, it was their first win in 2 matches, while for Goans Hockey it was their second loss.
Uttar Pradesh force second win
In Pool-G, Uttar Pradesh Hockey had it easy against Hockey Jharkhand 3-0. The win helped Uttar Pradesh maintain their clean record after logging their second win which pushed them to the top of the pool standings. Faraz Mohd (4th) forced the advantage by converting a penalty corner in the first quarter. Ajay Yadav (15th and 56th) put the issue beyond doubt.
In the same group, Kerala Hockey pipped Assam Hockey 2-1. Athul Shaju (22nd) and Muhammed Siyas K (28th) scored for the winners, while Assam Hockey reduced in the second half through Prashant Kabeer Sen (43rd). The win was Kerala Hockey’s first. Assam Hockey remained winless.
TN dent Telangana
Pool-A saw the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu dent Hockey Telangana chances of making the knockouts with a facile 7-0 win in a battle of southern teams. A three-goal effort by Karthi (12th, 26th and 57th) was the feature of the Tamil Nadu win.
The other goal scorers included Sundarapandi (2nd), Pruthvi G.M (32nd), Mareeswaran Sakthivel (37th) and Silver Stalin S (44th).
Victory for the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu was their first. They now play Hockey Himachal in the all-important last pool encounter.
RESULTS
Pool-F: Odisha: 3 (Abhijeet Swain 12th; Sibren Lakra 15th; Rahul Ekka 28th) drew with Hockey Bengal: 3 (Raushan Kumar 32nd; Nitesh Neupane 46th, 53rd). HT: 3-0
Pool-F: Hockey Gujarat: 4 (Poona Thakor 6th; Ajaykumar Thakor 18th; Dharmesh Mir 24th; Divyesh Miyatra 45th) beat Goans Hockey: 3 (Dattesh Priolkar 17th; Issub Sayyed 41st; Abbusaliya Havaldar 54th). HT: 3-1
Pool-G: Uttar Pradesh Hockey: 3 (Faraz Mohd 4th; Ajay Yadav 15th, 56th) beat Hockey Jharkhand: 0. HT: 2-0
Pool-G: Kerala Hockey: 2 (Athul Shaju 22nd; Muhammed Siyas K 28th) bt Assam Hockey: 1 (Prashant Kabeer Sen 43rd). HT: 2-0
Pool-A: Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu: 7 (Sundarapandi 2nd; Karthi S 12th, 26th, 57th; Pruthvi G.M 32nd; Mareeswaran Sakthivel 37th; Silver Stalin S 44th) bt Telangana Hockey: 0. HT: 3-0
Pool-H: Hockey Bihar: 6 (Mukesh Lakra 4th; Subash Sanga 34th, 37th, 57th; Sujit Tigga 40th; Samuel Topno 54th) bt Hockey Mizoram: 1 (Lalremdika 60th) HT: 1-0
Pool-H: Hockey Maharashtra: 9 (Taleb Shah 4th, 30th, 55th; Venkatesh Kenche 11th; Tikkaram Thakulla 15th; Pratap Shinde 34th, 42nd; Mohd Nizamuddin 47th, 50th) bt Chhattisgarh Hockey: 2 (Kartik Yadav 16th, Junaid Ahmed 35th) HT: 4-1
