The Hindu : Mumbai to meet Kolkata in final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 17, 2003

Sport

Sport - Hockey

Mumbai to meet Kolkata in final

VISAKHAPATNAM FEB. 16. A golden goal in the fifth minute of extra time by Asad Khan saw Mumbai piping host Visakhapatnam 3-2 in the semifinals of the 24th all-India Major Ports hockey championship at the Port Stadium here on Sunday.

In Monday's final, runner-up Mumbai will meet the holder Kolkota, which beat Tuticorin 3-0 in the other semifinals.

The four goals in the regulation time of the Mumbai-Visakhapatnam match came within the first 11 minutes with Mumbai equalising twice.

It was an impressive show by the host against a young pack of trainees from Mumbai. Visakhapatnam took lead as early as in the second minute through K. Bhavani Shankar who scooped in a back-pass from Narasimha Murthy in the ''D'' area.

Within two minutes, Mumtaz Ahmed put Mumbai on par connecting a Salauddin Siddique pass.

Visakhapatnam took lead again in the very next minute when N. Shiva Kumar converted a penalty corner but the host lost the lead when Sridhar Krishnamurthy of Mumbai scored off a penalty corner in the 11th minute.

Then ensued a bitter struggle for the lead and both teams went all out.

However, after the full time ended without result, Mumbai forced a penalty corner, its eighth, and Asad Khan earned a birthday gift by sounding the boards off a melee after a penalty corner. Visakhapatnam had six penalty corners.

Earlier, Kolkota took some time to get an upper hand over Tuticorin and its first goal came in the 29th minute when Sujit Patra converted a penalty corner.

Kolkota had to wait till the 54th minute to increase its lead. A foul committed by V.R. Kumar of Tuticorin in the danger area, earned Kolkota a penalty stroke and Mukti Prakash was successful in converting it.

Yousuf Bangra converted a penalty corner four minutes later.

Kolkota had a penalty stroke and forced nine penalty corners while Tuticorin had only one penalty corner.

The final will be played from 3.30 p.m. on Monday.

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