Mumbai, TN face strong challenges

BHOPAL: Former champions Mumbai and four-time runners-up
Tamil Nadu are strong contenders for a berth in the
championship round but face stiff challenges against
formidable opponents in the semi-finals that will be held on
Friday, in the 63rd Rangaswamy Cup Senior National Hockey
Championship at the floodlit Aishbagh Astroturf Stadium,
Bhopal.

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While Mumbai take on Chandigarh in the first semi-final,
Tamil Nadu will face Haryana in the second semi-final.

All four teams have been rewarded with a berth in the last
four for displaying entertaining hockey that made them a
class apart. While Chandigarh and Haryana, who have never
reached the finals, have contingents of young talent, Mumbai
and Tamil Nadu have a blend of youth and experience which
has combined to make a significant impact.

Mumbai, who last won the championship in 1989, used their
league ties effectively to warm up for the big occasion and
cruised through without much ado, easing past Chhatisgarh
and Manipur and only surviving a scare against Bhopal in
between.

After crossing the first hurdle, Mumbai sent out a warning
to the rest when they played to potential against a robust
Punjab in a highly entertaining quarter-final. They utilised
the experience of captain Conroy Remedios and defender
Gursev Singh and were pleasantly surprised with the
brilliant effort of the tireless Vikram Yadav in the
midfield. And, with a formidable line-up of strikers like
Jayesh Jadhav, Amit Gowda, Alden D’Souza and the skillful
Laxman Rao they subdued Punjab.

With Punjab, who won the title on 15 occasions, the last
way back in 1983, coming up with a strong second half
challenge, the win for Mumbai was no joy ride. But the
margin of victory in the end reflected the consistency and
depth in the team that should give them hope.

Chandigarh had the toughest test against hosts Madhya
Pradesh State Hockey Academy (MPSHA) in the quarter-finals,
in the most exciting match of the tournament so far.

In a match that could have gone either way, Chandigarh
escaped to victory against a dynamic young side that also
deserved a place in the last four. While the forward line
and midfield are doing well, Chandigarh’s defence will
have to be ever alert after slipping against MPSHA in the
dying minutes. But Chandigarh surged into the lead on two
occasions in that tie, which reflected they were no
pushovers. Keeping this in mind, Mumbai too cannot afford to
be complacent.

Tamil Nadu are fortunate to have the international
experience of captain Adam Sinclair. He demonstrated this by
controlling the midfield brilliantly against last year’s
runners-up Delhi in the quarter-finals and it made all the
difference in their impressive 3-1 win.

Tamil Nadu have upcoming talent that showed promise and
Sinclair held them together with brilliant distribution and
effective thrusts that proved decisive. This will come to
the fore again against Haryana whose 3-0 rout of Sports
Authority of India in the last quarter-final makes them a
serious threat.

Eager to enter their maiden championship round in the
senior nationals, Haryana will hope to make the most of this
opportunity. It is this determination and golden opportunity
that Tamil Nadu will have to be wary of.

Friday: 6.30 p.m. Mumbai vs Chandigarh; 8 p.m. TN vs
Haryana (Semi-finals, 63rd National Hockey Championship,
Aishbagh Stadium, Bhopal)