RPA lift trophy, defeat BEG in the final

Central Railway stand third after defeating VPA in sudden-death

Avinash Rajput

Goalkeeper Franklyn Fernandezs excellent saves enabled Rajesh Pillay Academy (RPA) lift the Late Olympian Joe Phillips Invitational Hockey tournament at the Ammunition factory ground here on Sunday.

RPA edged-out Bombay Engineering Group (BEG) 2-1 after scoring both the goals through penalty corners. Olympian Ajit Lakras presence in the RPA team strengthened their defence line and more possibility of penalty corner conversion. Leading from the front Ajit Lakra drew the first blood converting the first awarded penalty corner after hard-hitting Sunil Waghmares pass into the goal.

The BEG strikers made some critical attacks on the RPA goal but was cleared by Franklyn Fernandez. RPAs Franklyn saved three close attacks in the first half and two in the second leaving BEG strikers helpless. Kuldeep Singh managed to score an equaliser in the second half after a very unobvious pass from Rohit Dungdung. RPA once again proved their perfection in converting penalty corner as striker Manish Yadav netted Amit Rajputs pass in the 45th minute.

The BEG strikers came back heavily in the last fifteen minutes but couldnt capitalise any scoring opportunity as the final whistle blew and started off RPA celebration.

In the third position match Central Railway (Pune division) inch past Vikram Pillay Academy 8-7 in a match which went on to sudden-death.

Central Railway took the lead as Ashish Bhosale converted a penalty corner in the 16th minute. Yuvraj Walmiki equaliser in the 48th minute took the game into tie-breakers. Akhilesh Singh, Prakash Ghumare, Nachiket Jadhav, Ruben Kedari scored for Railways whereas Amol Bhosale missed the scoring opportunity. Vikas Pillay, Yuvraj Walmiki, Devendar Walmiki and Shree Krishnamurthy scored for VPA as Narad Bahadur scooped out of the goal taking the match into sudden-death.

In the sudden death Devendar Walmiki failed to score and Amol Bhosale made sure he sailed his team for the third place victory.