JALANDHAR, JAN 24 :It will be an all-Jalandhar affair as defending champions Lyallpur Khalsa School meet Government Model School in the final of the 5th All- India Balwant Singh Kapur Hockey Tournament being played at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium here tomorrow.
Government Model School of Jalandhar snuffed out the challenge of spirited Birsa Munda School of Rourkela by 1-0. In a well-contested semi-final match played today, Manpreet Singh scored the all-important goal in the 65th minute after a goalless first half.
Govt Model School wasted penalty corners in the 47, 50 and 52nd minutes. Birsa Munda’s sole penalty corner award came in the 14th minute which went abegging.
Bright Scholar School of Sonepat extended defending champions Lyallpur Khalsa School to tie-breaker before going down fighting on penalties. Lyallpur Khalsa won by an aggregate 7-5 margin in the second semi-final. The teams were tied one-all in the first half. At the end of regulated period, the teams shared four goals and issue was decided in tie-breaker.
Bright Scholar School gave an initial jot to the holders as the Sonepat boys forged ahead through Ved Prakash who scored in the 13th minute.
Simranjit restored parity for Lyallpur Khalsa School in the 31st minute.
It was the Sonepat School which struck again in the 53rd minute. Three minutes later, Amandeep Singh neutralized the lead for Lyallpur Khalsa School.
In the tie-breaker session, Navjot, Joga, Gagandeep, Harjot and Gurpreet. converted their strokes.
Ved Prakash, Manish and Deepak were successful with their penalties. Vinay Shukla missed his stroke.
The final will be played tomorrow at 2 p.m The winners will receive a cheque of Rs one lakh and runners-up Rs 60,000.