The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : India Colts storm into finals

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Tuesday, Nov 25, 2008
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India Colts storm into finals

GURGAON: Title aspirant India Colts asserted itself with a 4-0 victory over Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) XI in the semifinals of the Jindal Steel 45th Nehru hockey tournament at the Nehru Stadium, here on Monday.

In the other semifinal, defending champion Punjab and Sind Bank was shown the door by Bharat Petroleum 1-0 in a contest that failed to live up to its rating.

Having come through the qualifying event and won all its super league matches, the only team to do so among the elite eight, India Colts, guided ably by coach A.K. Bansal, looked to be peaking nicely for the final.

Though the team tended to attack more from the right, especially in the first-half, there was a distinct difference between India Colts and the unfancied ONGC, which had perhaps surprised itself in making the semifinals.

After a couple of wayward shots at the goal, India Colts shot ahead in the 20th minute as Danish Mujtaba unleashed a nice reverse hit following a centre from the right by Mandip Antil.

Seven minutes later, India Colts bolstered its position as skipper Diwakar Ram came up with a carpet drive to convert the team’s first penalty corner.

The talented junior team could have had a better tally at the interval, but for some good work by goakeeper Dinesh Ekka for ONGC.

On resumption, after thwarting a penalty corner attempt by its rival, with Diwakar making a swift clearance in front of the goal, India Colts got down to the business of scoring goals once again.

Jai Karan tapped one home midway through the second-half and Danish Mujtaba put the finishing touches two minutes later with a sharp strike from the left.

ONGC had nothing to show but for three abortive penalty corner attempts in the whole match.

In the other match, the finalists of the last edition lacked the flair and firepower to entertain the sparse gathering.

Bharat Petroleum struck a goal in the 26th minute by converting the team’s third penalty corner as Ravi Pal slotted one off a rebound after Gurpreet Singh’s shot had failed to break through the defence.

Thereafter, Bharat Petroleum looked more concerned about defending the goal rather than step it up against an opponent that was labouring hard to make a match of it.

The teams could only spice up the contest with physical aggression, with the players pouncing on each other, resulting in five yellow card bookings. Bharat Petroleum earned three of them to emphasise its raw fighting spirit. — Special Correspondent

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