Bank of India XI storm into semi-final

LUDHIANA: In a high scoring match in the third round, Bank of India XI, Jarkhar, defeated Shaheed Udham Singh Club of Sunam (11-8) to assure themselves a berth in the semi-final in the senior section of the Seventh Olympian Prithipal Singh Coca-Cola and Avon Cycles Hockey Festival at the Astroturf of Jarkhar village on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla Road, 20 km from here.

Organisers and players after paying tributes to Olympian Prithipal Singh during the hockey festival held at Jarkhar village. Tribune photo

Our Sports Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 21

In a high scoring match in the third round, Bank of India XI, Jarkhar, defeated Shaheed Udham Singh Club of Sunam (11-8) to assure themselves a berth in the semi-final in the senior section of the Seventh Olympian Prithipal Singh Coca-Cola and Avon Cycles Hockey Festival at the Astroturf of Jarkhar village on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla Road, 20 km from here.

The festival is being organised by the Mata Sahib Kaur Hockey Academy, an affiliated unit of the Hockey India, in which eight teams in the senior section (above 35 years) and six teams in the sub-junior section are taking part. Matches are played on Saturdays and Sundays under floodlights.

Bank of India XI was 5-2 at the breather. For winners, Gursatinder Singh Pargat was the main architect of their win, chipping in with four goals, while Lovjit Singh, Inderjit Singh and Jatinder Pal Singh Vicky contributed two goals each. Hukam Singh Hukki scored one goal to complete the tally.

For the losing side, Sanjay Kumar found the target five times and Gurpreet Singh scored a brace, while Kulvir Singh pumped in one goal.

With this victory, Bank of India XI secured 11 points to storm into the last four stage, while Sunam outfit made an exit from the competition.

In another match, Akalgarh XI scored a stunning victory over favourites Olympian Dharam Singh Club of Chandigarh 4-2 to secure a place in the quarterfinal. The winners were leading 2-1 at the end of the second quarter.

Captain, Manhinder Singh added two goals for Akalgarh XI, while Talwinder Singh and Paramjit Singh accounted for one goal each. For the losers, former international Yograj Singh and Olympian Sukhbir Singh Gill scored a piece to reduce the margin.

In the sub-junior section, Grewal Hockey Academy, Kila Raipur, proved too good for Rampur Coaching Centre (3-0), as the former came out victors in which goals came off Amit Kumar, Dharamjeet Singh and Satwant Singh’s sticks.

Gurpreet Singh Toor, AIG, Punjab Police, Olympians Hardeep Singh Grewal, Sukhbir Singh Gill and Bhai Surjeet Singh Sahnewal, chief sevadar, Gurdwara Manji Sahib Committee were guests of honour.

Olympian remembered

Olympian Prithipal Singh, who dominated the international hockey arena during the 1960s and helped India win gold medals in three consecutive Olympics, was remembered on his 34th death anniversary. This great player died on May 20, 1983. The guests along with organisers of this hockey festival and players observed a two-minute silence in the memory of Prithipal Singh. They garlanded the life-size statue at the stadium to pay respects to the great player.