The Hindu : Tete pilots Air India to final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 26, 2002

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Sport - Hockey

Tete pilots Air India to final

By Our Special Correspondent

Air India's Madan Vishwanathan (right) takes evasive action as PSB skipper Baljit Singh Saini lets loose a shot in the semifinals of the Bombay Gold Cup tournament in Mumbai on Thursday.

MUMBAI APRIL 25. Air India stormed into the 40th Bombay Gold Cup hockey final via Roshan Tete's `golden goal' against Punjab & Sind Bank on Thursday. The young striker applied the magic touch to a setpiece penalty corner conversion in the second minute of extra-time after the teams were locked 2-2.

However, the defending champion from Mumbai has to thank young goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza for a brilliant 66th minute penalty stroke save, the turning point of the second semifinal at the Mahindra stadium, which ended in a 3-2 heartbreak for the bankmen. The tournament is organised by Bombay Hockey Association and sponsored by State Bank.

Indian Airlines was made to work harder than expected while beating Tata Sports Club 4-0 in the first semifinal, the lopsided scoreline not a true indicator of a contest played at 2.00 p.m., in scorching heat and extreme humidity. The players from both teams rose to the occasion by playing a fast game, for the benefit of hockey enthusiasts present.

Sameer Dad, who came up with two stunning strikes, besides Y.S. Rawat and Bimal Lakra, proved to be the better marksmen.

Air India, now set to play its back-to-back Gold Cup final, executed an indirect variation drilled into it by coach Darryl D'Souza. Tete, the pusher, sent the ball whizzing on the turf towards Kishore Kumar at the top of the circle. Madan Vishwanathan ran in from behind to tap the ball square to skipper Vikram Pillay, past penalty corner specialist Anil Aldrin, who did his part in the act as a dummy hitter. The PSB defenders, ready to charge out of the goal, delayed a bit to get a hang of the AI gambit. By then, Pillay had pushed forward towards Tete, lurking near the right post, who trapped and swept high into the net.

PSB looked devastated while the Air India players celebrated by throwing their sticks in the air and the fans roared in delight. The bankmen could have wrapped up the match in scheduled time had Rajinder Singh converted a penalty stroke award in the 66th minute, awarded against AI after defender Aldrin swatted at a goalbound shot, raising his stick over shoulder height in reflex action on the goalline.

The match locked at 2-2, PSB was looking to wrap up the match with four minutes left for the final whistle. All eyes were on goalkeeper D'Souza, a product of the Air India Academy in New Delhi who responded with a lunge to the right and palmed away Rajinder's high scoop.

Kishore Kumar, dangerous as a spearhead, put the defending champion ahead by putting his stick in the path of a powerful drag flick from skipper Pillay in the 22nd minute. PSB equalised in the next minute, Mandeep Singh Ghuman's hit off the first penalty corner going in off AI custodian D'Souza's pads. Kishore scored his second (2-1) in the 27th minute, getting the ball through goalkeeper Aloysious Edwards' pads with a soft shot on the run. The bankmen were a player short with Davinder Pal Singh shown the yellow for a rash tackle on Kishore, crying out in pain as he fell holding his wrist.

Mandeep struck again (2-2) this time with a drag flick and let out a cry of delight as the AI goalkeeper failed to stop the ball, which ballooned over and behind. Baljit Singh Chandi guided it on the bounce beyond the goalline. Then PSB was denied a breakthrough, Sandeep Singh Seep's try saved by custodian D'Souza, one of the Mumbai team heroes.

At the other end, a dive by Kishore off a rasping Tete diagonal into the goalmouth, proved in vain. Then came the penalty stroke miss by PSB, leading to extra-time and Tete's golden goal.

Indian Airlines took the lead through a Bimal Lakra drag flick off the second penalty corner in the 11th minute. Rawat showed his reflexes in the goalmouth by tapping home a rebound off Tatas goalkeeper A.P. Girish's pads off a direct penalty corner hit (2-0), Sameer Dad converted a stroke (3-0) after Virinder Kumar was pole-axed by defender S. Krishnamurthy and Dad displayed excellent individual skills when riding two challenges and scoring a field goal (4-0) after being put through by Irshad Ali.

The results (semifinals): Indian Airlines 4 (Sameer Dad 2, Y.S. Rawat, Bimal Lakra) bt Tatas 0; Air India 3 (Kishore Kumar 2, Roshan Tete) bt Punjab & Sind Bank 2 (Mandeep Singh Ghuman 2).

Friday's final: Indian Airlines vs Air India (2.00 p.m). Live telecast on Doordarshan.

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