Easy win for Air India
BANGALORE: Star-studded Air India were hardly tested as they trounced Hockey Rajasthan in their second Pool E contest of the Hockey India Senior National championship here on Monday. Akashdeep Singh was Punjab’s star in Group C, scoring five goals including a hat-trick in the second half, as his team routed Chhattisgarh 12-0.
With as many as ten international players – a mix of current and former – in their ranks, Air India left their opponents clueless with their relentless forays. Prolific striker Sameer Dad dazzled, scoring twice and setting up a few as the airmen snatched their second victory after having started their campaign in style, defeating Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, to lead Group E with six points.
Rajasthan, who started their campaign with a bang ousting a lowly Nagaland on Sunday, were no match for their experienced opponents.
It looked like a low-scoring game in the beginning but once Air India got moving, they brooked no stopping. The airmen took off in the 22nd minute when Sameer Dad, a member of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, sounded the board following a goalmouth scramble. The veteran striker added his second goal in the 47th minute.
Punjab too were clinical against Chhattisgarh with Sarvanjit Singh (3 goals) and Ravipal Singh (2) adding to the tally even as Akashdeep dotted the game with five goals.
Results
Group A: Haryana: 8 (Didar Singh 4-ps, 45, Arjun Antil 34, B Chikkara 49, N Antil 51, G Singh 59, K Singh 65, Sardar Singh 70-pc) bt Bengal: 0. Hockey Bhopal: 2 (Affan Yousuf 22, 63) bt Hockey Maharashtra: 1 (N Bahadur 44).
Group C: Punjab: 12 (G Singh 2-pc, A Singh 10, 41, 50, 52, 69, R Singh 11, 23, S Singh 17, 26, 62, T Singh 59) bt Chhattisgarh: 0.
Pool E: Air India: 9 (Sameer Dad 22, 29, P Tirkey 29, Sandeep Singh 34, OG 37, P Somanna 44, B Lakra 56, A Halappa 67 and VS Vinay 69) bt Rajasthan 0; Madhya Pradesh: 8 (S Hussain 6, A Qureshi 12, N Sharma 14, 47, S Khan 24, R Singh 51, N Mohammed 56, A K Singh 57, V Choudhary 64) bt Nagaland: 2 (Keduneizo 17, Md Asif 66).
Pool G: Hockey Odisha: 17 (Amon Mirash Tirkey 11, Sunil Topo 12, 31, 32, John Toppno 18, Ignacious Toppo 29, Deepak Kullu 30, 32, Mikhal Barla 33, 46, Aijub Ekka 37, 40, David Minz 43, Stanli Minz 48, Bipin Kerketta 49, 63, Dilip Toppo 70) bt Hockey Kerala 0.