Juniors showcase talent

Pune, Oct 4: Going by skill and talent alone, Indian hockey holds much promise. The cream of the country's challenge for the next decade ...

Pune, Oct 4: Going by skill and talent alone, Indian hockey holds much promise. The cream of the country’s challenge for the next decade displayed their wares at the PCMC Poligras Stadium here today watched eagerly by Indian Hockey Federation secretary K Jothikumaran, former Indian skipper MM Somayya and local die-hards, joyous at a rare national convergence of talent in this city.

Hopefuls for the 2001 Junior World Cup pushed off a four-team tournament comprising trainees at camps in Bangalore and Pune. Of special interest is the Light Blues (under-21) side under CR Kumar, training at Bangalore, and comprising the bulk of the squad that finished second to South Korea in an eight-nation tourney at Poznan, Poland, in August.

Light Blues (u-21) beat Reds (u-18) 3-1 after Dark Blues got the better of their u-18 counterparts Orange 4-3 in the opening round of matches. Perhaps a little of disappointment as well for Reds coaches Clarence Lobo and Ajay Bansal whose under-18 charges training in Pune could havedone better had they sustained tempo in the second half.

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And for Olympian Somayya hope for the future in terms of penalty corner execution. Powerfully-built Len Ayappa aspires to be an Indian Bovelander. The full-back in the under-21 side scored from the drag flick and loomed ominously at four penalty corners that the Poznan side forced. “He’s the best on view in the country,” Somayya said. “ I haven’t seen another flick so powerfully,” the 1988 Seoul Olympics skipper added.

Inside-right Hamza Mujtaba shot Reds ahead early in the first half but Ayappa’s wrists restored parity from his side’s first penalty corner in the 25th minute. Inside-left Prakash Chalke scored a brace.

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