Tags:
Journalism of Courage
PUNE, Aug 9: Tight defending leaving minimum opportunity for the opposition attackers to combine led to close matches in the Priyadarshini Sports Club nine-a-side hockey tournament at the PCMC Poligras Stadium, Pimpri, here today.
The beneficiaries of the three-card day were Poona Police and Joseph’s Pride at the expense of Super XI and Champions’ Sports, while NDA and Green Meadows had to be content splitting goals and a point each.
Poona Police, despite dominating proceedings throughout the game, managed to squeek home thanks to a 28th minute strike by Harish Sapkal. Combining well with his inside-right Raju Aspat, Harish connected well to find the net. Super did manage an attack or two, but the stoic cops kept them at bay. The cops forced four penalty corners to assert their domination, while their opponents could manage just one.
Later, Joseph’s Pride aided by two penalty corner conversions managed to pip Champions’ Sports by an odd goal in three. Joseph’s were the first to take the lead when Sachin Godse rapped the boards off the second penalty corner earned in the 21st minute. Three minutes later Vikramjit Singh Bhatti knocked in the subsequent penalty corner.
Changing ends, Champions’ braved their opposition and managed to pull one back when Vivek Kale converted the only penalty-stroke of the match in the 36th minute. Vivek’s neatly executed essay sent ‘keeper Rajiv Chaudhary the wrong way.
In the last match of the day, season’s newcomers NDA were surprisingly held by fancied Green Meadows 1-1. With the match twelve minutes old NDA had D Dhaiya play a through pass to K Rai who converge, controlled and scored. Thereafter Green Meadows took 15 minutes to restore parity through Amit Sapkal who made full use of the set-up by his schemer Hrishikesh Kulkarni.
Today’s Fixtures: Kids XI v Green Meadows 2.30 p.m.; OBA v Super XI — 3.30 p.m; 4.30 p.m NDA v Priyadarshini S.C B’ — 4.30 p.m.
