Date:27/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/27/stories/2006012703341700.htm

Sport - Hockey

Hyderabad Sultans in joint lead

Chandigarh: Pakistani forward Shakeel Abassi struck in the second half as defending champion Hyderabad Sultans edged past injury-hit Chandigarh Dynamos by a solitary goal in a Premier Hockey Legaue match to go into joint lead at the top of the table here on Thursday.

The deadlock was broken in the 63rd minute when, Sultans' Johnson Ekka sent a defence-splitting forward pass to Shakeel Abassi who trapped it well and nicely dodged Chandigarh Dynamos' substitute goalkeeper Kamal Deep, to put his side in the lead.

Aiyappa dazzles

Drag-flick specialist Len Aiyappa was the hero of the day scoring a hat-trick which fashioned Bangalore Lions' 3-2 victory over Maratha Warriors on Wednesday night. — Agencies