CHANDIGARH, OCT 18 :Lucknow Hockey Academy qualified for semi-final after trouncing Rail Coach Factory of Kaputhala by 16-1 in the first Administrator’s Challenge Cup Hockey Tournament for under-17 being conducted by the Chandigarh Sports Department at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here today.
It was Lucknow Academy’s their second successive win in a three-team group D and they topped their pool to qualify for semi-final.RFC will meet Amritsar XI tomorrow in a match which will have no bearing on group D. Both have lost one match each.
The highlight of their one-sided match was a hat-trick by forward Sunil Kumar who scored his team’s first three goals in the 2nd, 5th (penalty corner) and 14th minutes. He completed his tally of four individual goals in the 48th minute.
Lucknow Academy’s other goal scorers were: Arif (19th), Faiz Alam (21st pc, 45th), Chandan Singh (26th, pc), Surya Partap Singh (40th), Brijesh Kumar (43rd) and Deepak Yadav (46th)).
Formidable Surjit Hockey Academy of Jalandhar commenced their campaign with an authoritative 14-1 win over Sukhchain Hockey Academy of of Faridkot in the Group A match. Sukhchain Academy suffered their second successive defeat and are out of race for the title. Surjit Hockey Academy will meet Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy of Amritsar tomorrow to decide the group leaders. Both have won their opening round matches.
Harjinder Singh (20th, 24th, 54th, 64th) and Akshdeep Singh (17th, 46th, 61st, 62nd) held the spotlight by scoring four goals each. Gorav Sehgal contributed three goals — 12th, 42nd, 67th minutes. Satbir Singh made two goals in the 10th and 47th minutes. Prabhdeep got his goal in the 29th minute. The face-saving goal for Sukhchain Academy was scored by Sandeep Kumar in the 50th minute.
Punjab and Sind Bank of Jalandhar recorded their second win and enhanced their chances of qualifying for the semi-final from pool C. Today, the Jalandhar Bankmen outplayed Punjab and National Bank Academy of Delhi by 6-1.
PSB forged ahead in the ninth minute through Kanwarpreet who converted a penalty corner. PNB neutralised the lead in the 25th minute as Sumit Topno converted a penalty corner.. Thereafter the Jalandhar academy dominated and scored goals through Gaurav (31st), Rajneesh Kumar (41st), Varinder Singh (52nd, 89th) and Gagandeep (63rd).