Chandigarh: Western Air Command (WAC) beat Training Command (TC) 3-2 in extra time in the first semifinal of the Air Force Hockey Championship, being played at the Sector 42 stadium on Thursday. The score was tied 2-2 at the end of regular time.

The match got off to a slow start as both teams failed gain advantage over each other in the first half, resulting in no goals being scored. But four minutes into the second half the deadlock was broken by Corporal S Singh of TC, when he put his team ahead in the 39th minute. S Singh was again at hand to double the lead in the 47th minute.

TC looked liked they had sealed the match in their favour but WAC girded up their loins and struck back immediately through Corporal S Singh when he sounded the board in the 49th minute. Warrant Officer Satvir Singh scored WAC’s second goal in the 56th minute. The match went into extra time, as the scores were tied 2-2 at the end of 70 minutes. In the first half of extra time both teams failed to score and the match looked like heading towards penalty shootout when Satvir scored his second goal and WAC’s third goal in the last minute of extra time to cap an exciting victory for WAC. They will now meet Central Air Command (CAC) in the final on Friday.

In the second semifinal, CAC beat South Western Air Command (SWAC) 3-1. Compared to the cliffhanger first semifinal, this match was comparatively one sided with CAC dominating proceedings right from the word go. AP Singh opened the scoring for CAC in the 2nd minute. Minhas then doubled the lead in the 18th minute. SWAC pulled one back eight minutes in the second half but CAC’s Vignesh ensured his team’s place in the semis when he scored the third goal nine minutes from the close of the match. In the first classification match, Eastern Air Command beat Air Headquarter 3-2. The goals scorers for the winners were AK Yadav (2nd, 48th), M Singh (22nd) while Ramarajan (28th) and Negi (47th) scored for the losers.

In the second classification match, Maintenance Command beat Southern Air Command 2-0. Gaurav (18th) and Talwal (48th) were the goal scorers.