Date:02/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/02/stories/2007110256762000.htm

Sport - Hockey

Jalandhar Govt. HS wins Nehru sub-junior title

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: After failing to break the resistance of a nine-player Birsa Munda Vidyapeeth for 85 minutes, Government High School, Jalandhar, finally got things right in the tiebreaker for a 4-2 verdict and claimed the 25th Nehru sub-junior hockey title at the Shivaji Stadium here on Wednesday.

The Rourkela team deserved all credit for playing with just nine players after seven members of its squad were found ineligible for participation following their failure to meet the parameters in this under-15 tournament.

It conceded eight penalty corners without forcing any in return but foiled all attempts to score by the Jalandhar team.

After a goalless regulation period and 15 minutes of extra time, the Jalandhar boys escaped further embarrassment by scoring through Gursahib Singh, Gaurav Sehgal, skipper Satbir Singh and Sukhmanjeet Singh. For Birsa Munda, captain James Munda and Joseph Toppo missed the first and fourth attempts. In between, Arbin Barla and Amonmirus Tirkey scored.

The winning team received Rs. 96,000 while the runner-up got Rs. 64,000.

In all, for 85 minutes, the Jalandhar boys attacked almost at will but failed to break through. Not once did they look like scoring from eight penalty corners that came their way.

The only real chance came in the closing stages of the second half when Gaurav Sehgal, in tandem with Satbir Singh, got past the defence and only had goalkeeper Sushant Tirkey to beat, but failed to control the ball in front of the goal.

Birsa Munda’s safety-first measures were only understandable.

Pradeep Kujur, Joseph Toppo and Pitar Kullu did manage to create a few chances but the absence of two players upfront kept them short of achieving the desired results.

In the defence, skipper James Munda stood out.

In fact, in the second session, the Rourkela boys not only guarded the goal flawlessly but also minimised goalkeeper Sushant Tirkey’s job under the bar.

However, in the tiebreaker, Tirkey was beaten repeatedly.

Earlier, in the match for the third place, Springdales School, Amritsar, bounced back from a 0-2 deficit to beat Malwa School, Ludhiana 4-2.