Goals galore in World Series Hockey

MUMBAI: The inaugural edition of World Series Hockey, which started on February 29 featuring eight teams from different cities, has seen 128 goals scored from 24 matches till Sunday at an average of five per game.

Though there are about ten penalty corner experts attached to the various teams and excelling with their drag-flicks, as many as 56 per cent (72) goals have been field efforts and 40 per cent (52 goals) came from short corners, the statistics revealed.

Sher-E-Punjab, which has an enterprising forwardline spearheaded by ex-India stars Paraquat Singh and Deepak Thakur, have notched up 19 goals in six matches till now, and only three efforts have been penalty corner conversions and one from a penalty stroke.

Thakur and skipper Prabhjot have four goals each to their names till now.

The lesser fancied Pune Strykers has struck 20 goals in six matches, 11 field and nine penalty corner goals that included seven from the young drag-flicker, Gurpreet Singh, who honed his skill with the Namdharis’ team.

Pakistani star Imran Warsi of Chennai Cheetahs (12 goals in six matches), Pune Strykers’ Gupreet, Gurjinder Singh of Chandigarh Comets (5), Karnataka Lions Len Aiyappa (4), Sher-E-Punjab’s Harpreet Singh and Delhi Wizards’ Vikramjeet Singh (2 goals each) are the leading goal scorers from penalty corners.

The championship runs till April 2. The leading goal-getters in the tournament after 28 games: Syed Imran Warsi (Chennai Cheetahs) 12, Gurpreet Singh (Pune Strykers) 8, Gurjinder Singh (Chandigarh Comets) 7, Karan Bhaskaran (Bhopal Badshahs) 5, Joga Singh (Mumbai Marines) 5, Sukhwinder Singh Gabbar (Chandigarh Comets) 5, Len Aiyappa (Karnataka Lions) 4, Prabhjot Singh (Sher-E-Punjab) 4, Ravipal Singh (Karnataka Lions) 4, Deepak Thakur (Sher-E-Punjab) 4.