Rajasthan register first win in Senior National hockey

Lucknow, March 8, 2014: Teams of Pool A saw the clash of Rajasthan and Gujarat where the former won the match by 3-2 and with this win Rajasthan opens its scorecard in the points table of Division B of the 4th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2014 played at Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium here today.

Both the teams gave a tough fight to each other in the first half and it was Gujarat who scored the first goal of the match. It was Vijay Thapa of Gujarat who converted a good pass in the 14th minute of the match. Going into the second half it was Gujarat who was leading the scorecard with 1 goal to Rajasthan’s nil.

Though Gujarat had the mental edge over the opponents Rajasthan started the session with great speed. They continued their attack till the time they did not score their goal which came in the 49th minute which helped them level the scores 1-1.

It was Ankit Kishwah who helped Rajasthan open their score card through a field goal. This gave Rajasthan the window and hope of going ahead in the game and in the 60th minute Purshotam Bagdi who gave the much needed goal which helped Rajasthan edge past Gujarat. Gujarat tried coming back in the game but within 2 minutes of the last goal it was Paramveer Singh Rathore who added another to the scorecard and further minimizing Gujarat’s chances for a win in the match. In the 66th Minute Gujarat got a Penalty Strike and was successfully converted by Vijay Thapa who scored his second goal for team. In the final few minutes Gujarat kept its attack on with the hope of leveling the scores but they couldn’t pass the strong defense of Rajasthan. This win helps Rajasthan register its first win and Gujarat it yet to get a win in its name.

In the second match of the day, Namdhari XI defeated Sashastra Seema Bal 1-0 in a very close contest in Pool A. The match saw the sole goal being scored by Namdhari XI in the 24th minute and was converted through a field goal by Gurmukh Singh. In the second half both the teams kept attacking but were not successful in converting the chances they got.

Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd today played with a clear mandate of winning, and that’s what they ensured in their match against Himachal Pradesh in Pool B. They beat Himachal Pradesh 4-0 not conceding a single goal to the opponents. Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd played an attacking game and in the 19thminute of the game got them their first goal through Captain Victo Singh. Manprit Singh Chahal scored the second goal for the team by taking complete advantage of the penalty corner opportunity that the team got in the 28th minute. This goal ensured that Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd ended the session with a 2-0 lead and entering the second half with a clear advantage of leading the game. In the second session Himachal Pradesh fought hard to score but they could not convert the opportunities they got. Mumbai won the matches 4-0.

In the last match of the day, Jammu & Kashmir finally has a win in its name and they beat Goa 5-0 in Pool B. They scored their 1st goal in the 6th minute of the game by Surinder Singh. They again struck within 6 minutes and registered their 2nd goal in the 12th minute. By the end of the first half they had put 3 goals in their name. They continued their dominance in the second half and won the match 5-0.

Today’s Result

Pool A- Rajasthan 3  Ankit Kushwah (49 min), Purshotam Bagdi (60 min), Param Veer Rathore (62 min) vs Gujarat 2 Vijay Thapa (4, 66 min)

Pool A Namdhari XI 1 Gurmukh Singh (24t min) vs Sashastra Seema Bal 0

 Pool B Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd 4 Victo Singh (19 min), Manprit Singh Chahal (28 min), Harjit Singh (52 min), Prateek Singh (68 min) vsHimachal Pradesh 0

 Pool B Jammu & Kashmir 5 Surinder Singh (6, 36 min), Arminder Singh (12, 63 min), Jaspreet Singh (16 min), Prateek Singh (68 min) vs Goa 0

HI Press release