Sport - Hockey

Punjab and Sind Bank fights hard to emerge the champion

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

TRIUMPHANT: The Punjab and Sind Bank team which won the Nehru hockey tournament.

NEW DELHI: Punjab and Singh Bank tamed Bharat Petroleum 4-3 to win a hard-fought final in the 44th Nehru hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium here on Sunday.

The teams were locked 2-2 at the end of the first half. PSB was the better side on a day when Gurvinder Singh Chandi and Mandeep Singh played outstanding hockey.

Gurvinder was the livewire of the PSB team which won the title for the third time in seven final appearances.

PSB took the lead in the 12th minute when Vikramjit Singh converted the penalty stroke. The stroke was awarded when a goalbound shot by Gurvinder struck Prabhdeep on the foot on the goalline.

A splendid cross by Gurvinder almost fetched the second goal. He found an unmarked Mandeep but the latter hit out. Mandeep, however, made up a minute later when he moved from the left to score.

Just before half time, BPCL hit back to nullify the lead. A Jarnail Singh-Amar passing bout saw the latter score with a flourish. A little later, Amar deflected a free hit.

PSB scored soon on resumption when a sliding Kulwinder Singh connected a cross from Sarvanjit Singh.

The fourth goal was fashioned by Sarvanjit for Mandeep to finish in style. BPCL scored through Gurpreet in a melee but PSB hung on to emerge the winner.

In the match for the third place, Namdhari XI defeated Indian Airlines 9-8 via the tie-breaker after the teams were locked 4-4 at the end of the regulation period.

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