Maharashtra, Gangpur-Odisha enter semifinals

New Delhi March 5, 2014: Day-7 of the 4th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2014 (Division B) today, saw teams of Pool C and D giving a tough fight to each other in their last league matches played at the Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium in Lucknow today.

The first match between Bengal and Assam witnessed Bengal leading with 1-0 score till half time. Assam played a better game in the first half but lost control in the second half and gave away 2 more goals and lost the match by 3-0 to Bengal.

Assam gave Bengal a good fight by stopping them with only a 1-0 lead in the first half of the match, but Bengal came back strong in the second half and pocketed 2 more goals within a matter of 4 minutes in the second half of the match. Sunil Shah scored the first goal for Bengal in the 12th minute, followed by Rakesh Burman and Sunil Kujur in the 61st and 64th minute, respectively.

In another match, Central Reserve Police Force scooped away the game from Vidarbha Hockey Association by 4-0. The match witnessed Central Reserve Police Force at their best, as they took the lead by 3-0 in the first half of the match itself where Rohensingh Thangjam, Prashnt Tirkey and Simon Tirkey scored at 4th, 6th and 16th minute, respectively. The Vidarbha Hockey Association gave a decent fight in the second half of the match but still gave away one more goal to Central Reserve Police Force’s Nemhas Khkha at 46th minute, which cost them the game by 4-0.

In the third match of the day, Maharashtra and Delhi were involved in a closely contested match. The match ended with a draw with both the teams scoring 3 goals each. Navneet Swarnkar scored two goals at 2nd and 30th minute and Captain Vishal Pillay scored at 42nd minute for Maharashtra. Abhishek scored at 38th and 45th minute and Meet Singh scored at the 47th minute of the match for Delhi, making it even with Maharashtra’s score.

Post the match both Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh are placed with 11 points each on the table in Pool D. But on the basis of goal difference Maharashtra was ahead of the Chhattisgarh and therefore Maharashtra has qualified for the semi-finals.

With Hockey Gangpur – Odisha bagging 15 points and Hockey Maharashtra with 16 points in their kitty  they now enter the semi-finals of the 4th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship from Pool ‘C’ and Pool ‘D’, respectively.

Results:

Pool C- Bengal 3 Sunil Shah (12 min) Rakesh Burman (61 min) and Sunil Kujur (64 min) vs Assam 0.

Pool D Central Reserve Police Force 4 Rohensingh Thangjam (4th min), Prashnt Tirkey (6th min), Simon Tirkey (16th min) and Nemhas Khkha (46thmin) vs. Vidarbha Hockey Association 0.

Pool D- Hockey Maharashtra 3 Navneet Swarnkar (2nd & 30th min) and Vishal Pillay (42nd min) Delhi 3 Abhishek (38th & 45th min) and Meet Singh (47th min).

HI Press release