SAI Lucknow start campaign in style

The team of Sports Authority of India (SAI),Lucknow started its campaign in the 22nd All India Invitation Prize Money Hockey Tournament in style by registering a comprehensive 4-1 victory against Western Railway,Mumbai in the 22nd All India Invitation Prize Money Women’s Hockey Tournament 2008-’09 at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium here on Friday.

Kavita Maurya of SAI Lucknow succeeded in breaking the ice through a penalty corner awarded to the SAI team in the 24th minute of the play. However,dodging defenders intelligently Prakash Chaudhry struck the equaliser just two minutes later. SAI forward Nagma Parveen made full use of a penalty corner given to her team in the 41st minute to put the team into lead again. Thereafter,Kamla Rawat of SAI struck two beautiful field-goals— in the 59th and 69th minute to pave the way for a 4-1 victory for her team. In all SAI got six penalty corners (PCs)— in the 9th,24th,42nd,43rd,47th and 54th minute out of which it was able to make use of two such opportunities. Western Railway was awarded a total of 10 penalty corners— in the 6th,7th,17th,38th,50th,56th,62nd,63rd,68th and 69th minute and one penalty stroke— in the 69th minute but none of these opportunities could be converted into goals.

UP Hostel outclassed North Eastern Railway,Gorakhpur 1-0 in the second match of the day. No goals could be scored in the first-half due to a sound defence line-up on both the sides. UP Hostel team made a good move in the 41st minute of the play and its forward Rashmi Singh made no mistake in diverting the ball into the goal to score the all-important goal for the team. In all—NER was awarded one PC— in the 66th minute while UP Hostel was given 5 PCs— in the 16th,25th,37th,51st and 52nd minute.

Saturday’s Fixtures:

Central Railway,Mumbai vs Gwalior Eleven (at 10.30 am); Haryana Eleven vs East Central Railway,Dhanbad (at 12.00 noon); Pepsu vs Gujarat Eleven (at 1.30 pm); West Central Railway,Jabalpur vs Vir Bahadur Singh Sports College,Gorakhpur (at 3.00 pm).