35th National Games witnessed four exciting hockey games
Kerala, 04 February 2015: The 35th National Games today had four hockey matches scheduled for the day at the New Hockey Stadium, Kollam (Kerala). With the finest strategies and field plans, eight teams clashed against each other.
Results:
Odisha beat Jharkhand 3-1
Uttar Pradesh won over Kerala by 5-2
Haryana beat SSCB 2-1
Punjab won over Karnataka 2-0
Match 1: Odisha Vs Jharkhand
The first game of the day saw Odisha men clashing against Jharkhand, defeating the latter 3-1 to win the match. Sailendra Singh of Odisha scored the initial goal of the game in the 20th minute, when he successfully converted a penalty corner that was awarded to his side. It was Wilson Lakra of Jharkhand who gave his team the much required equaliser when he sneaked in a field goal in the 32th minute taking the scorecard 1-1. Odisha dominated the game thereon. Odisha struck twice through the sticks of Deepanshu Bhargav and Rajin Kandulana in the 66th and the 69th minute and helped the team to take the score to 3-1. Jharkhand attached with equal vigour but was unable to convert the chances, allowing Odisha to win the match 3-1.
Match 2: Uttar Pradesh Vs Kerala
Kerala played Uttar Pradesh in the second match, where Uttar Pradesh won over the home team with a score of 5-2. Uttar Pradesh made an early scoring debut when it was awarded with a penalty corner and Sunil Yadav converted it into a goal in the eighth minute. Ibnu Noufal scored the first goal for Kerala, levelling the score at 1-1. Uttar Pradesh’s Sunil Yadav scored again, this time through a penalty stroke in the 39th minute, giving the visiting team a lead of 2-1. Praveen Kumar of Kerala scored an equalizer in the 47th minute of the game getting the match to a very exciting point where both teams knew they had the chance to take the game away from the opponents. Post that Uttar Pradesh kept a lead over Kerala when Jay Karan, Hamja Mujtaba and Chandan Singh scored a goal each for their side, taking the score to 5-2. The final score stood at 5-2, declaring a win for Uttar Pradesh over Kerala by 5-2.
Match 3: Haryana Vs SSCB
In the third match played between Haryana and SSCB, Haryana beat SSCB by 2-1. The first goal was scored from the stick of Arjun Antil of Haryana when he put the ball in the nets in the 30th minute. Siraj of SSCB beautifully converted a penalty corner into the opening goal for SSCB in the 60th minute, equalling the score. In the dying moments of the game, Yidhvir Singh of Haryana managed to score another goal, giving his side a lead of 2-1.
Match 4: Punjab Vs Karnataka
The last game of the day saw Punjab defeat Karnataka 2-0 to win the game. It was Punjab’s Jaskaran who scored the first goal of the match for his team giving them the much required lead. At the end of first half Punjab was leading the game 1-0. The second half saw both teams trying their chances to score but was unable to break the shackled. Finally Punjab’s Jaskaran gave Punjab the second goal when in the 62nd minute he scored for his team. Post that Karnataka attacked with full strength but the defence of Punjab withheld the opponents, giving them no chance to score. Punjab won the match 2-0.