The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Uttar Pradesh emerges champion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006

Sport

Sport - Hockey

Uttar Pradesh emerges champion

Sports Reporter

BHIMAVARAM: Uttar Pradesh emerged winner of the 12th DNR sub-junior National hockey championship defeating Haryana 2-0 in the final at the DNR grounds here on Tuesday.

Exhibiting aggression to perfection, Uttar Pradesh's frontline unsettled Haryana with a series of raids right from the start.

Uttar Pradesh's persistent approach paid dividends in the 32nd minute when centre-forward Deepak Yadav gathered a pass from Siddharth to deceive the rival defence and the goalkeeper to put his team 1-0 up.

Undeterred, Haryana, playing its first sub-junior National final, made several attempts to penetrate the formidable Uttar Pradesh defence, but in vain. At half-time, Uttar Pradesh led 1-0.

The second-half witnessed Uttar Pradesh coming out with all guns blazing with the wingers feeding their frontline with determination. In the 62nd minute, left-out Abhinav Walter converted a penalty corner by latching on to a pass from right-in Sunny.

"The boys played to a plan. They controlled the ball brilliantly during their raids and passes," said Uttar Pradesh coach Subodh Kandekar.

In the third place play-off match, Orissa defeated Andhra Pradesh 5-2. Andhra Pradesh dominated the first-half by scoring two goals. In the 12th minute, Narayana Rao opened Andhra Pradesh's account with a field goal and Shaik Firdose swelled the lead in the 22nd minute.

But the second-half saw a resurgent Orissa launch a series of attacks on the rival citadel. Anil Kumar (42nd minute) and B. Horo (46th minute) scored the first two goals and later, it was Ignatius Topo (54th, 60th and 66th minutes) who won the appreciation of the motley crowd with his fine hat-trick.

The results: Final: Uttar Pradesh 2 bt Haryana 0. Third place play-off: Orissa 5 bt Andhra Pradesh 2.

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