WAC thrash EAC 5-0

CHANDIGARH, Sept 16: Defending champions Western Air Command WAC began their campaign with a bang, scoring 5-0 win over Eastern Air Com...

CHANDIGARH, Sept 16: Defending champions Western Air Command WAC began their campaign with a bang, scoring 5-0 win over Eastern Air Command EAC in their opening league match in Pool A8217; in the Air Force hockey championship at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium, here today.

In a one-sided affair, title holder began the rout with a field goal in the opening fifth minute of play through Sukhdeep Singh 1-0. Ten minutes later another good move by skipper Baldev Singh gave WAC 2-0 lead.

The EAC defenders, after struggling to keep the opponents at bay, collapsed just before the break when Manish Kumar8217;s superb shot went past the EAC keeper Himansu in the 30th minute 3-0.

After the change of ends, the eventual winners did not have to wait long for the fourth goal. Sushil dribbled past Praveen Kumar to flick the ball into the net 4-0. The WAC8217;s fifth goal was a result of a penalty corner which they earned in the 45th minute and Yogindra made no mistake 5-0.

WAC earned five more penalty corners but all went abegging. EAC also squandered one penalty corner in the 26th minute.

Eight teams are participating in the meet and the matches are being played on league-cum-knock out basis. The teams have been divided into two pools.

Western Air Command, Maintenance Command, Eastern Air Command, and Training Command are clubbed in pool A8217;.

Story continues below this ad

Pool B8217; comprises South Western Air Command, Air Head Quarters, Central Air Command and Southern Air Command.

UT badminton
Most of the seeded players scored easy win over their respective opponents on the opening day of the Chandigarh State badminton tournament at the Punjab university indoor hall here today.

Second seed Puneet Bansal beat Navdeep 15-1, 15-0, to enter the next round of the boys under-16 group.

In the boys under-19 section top seed Vivek Sharma did not break into sweat to score 15-0, 15-2 win over Gaurav Sharma.

Story continues below this ad

Results
Boys: Under-13: Gurkirandeep bt Manish Bandal 17-15, 15-12; Jaspal Singh bt Abhinav Gautam 6-15, 17-15, 15-12. Under-19: Vivek Sharma bt Gaurav Sharma 15-0, 15-2; Puneet Bansal bt Navdeep 15-1, 15-0; Varun bt Rohit 15-9, 15-5; Naresh bt Vikas Gupta 15-1, 15-3.
Men: Deepak Sidhu bt Naresh 15-9, 15-11; Rajnikant bt Varun Sharma 15-6, 15-5.
Girls: Under-13: Seema bt Neha 11-2, 12-11; Sangeena bt Prazy 11-5, 11-0. Under-16: Richa Sharma bt Swati Singh 11-7, 11-12, 11-2. Under-19: Mala Gaba bt Roohi Chawla 11-0, 11-0; Nidhi bt Ridhima 11-1, 11-0; Isha Sharma bt Arpna Gupta 11-1, 11-0; Rachna bt Amritjot 11-2, 11-5.
Women: Mala Gaba bt Mamta 11-0, 11-0.

NZ TT today
Some of the top paddlers will be seen in action in the the North Zone table tennis tournament which will begin here from tomorrow at the Sector 23 Indoor Table Tennis Hall. In a three-day competition, apart from Chandigarh players from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana are also participating in the meet. The matches would begin tomorrow at 3 p.m.