CHANDIGARH, JUNE 11:Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of Delhi will lock horns with Indian Oil Corporation Limited in the final of the sixth Olympian Dharam Singh Six-a-Side Hockey Tournament at the Sector 18 Hockey Stadium here on Thursday at 7.30 p.m.
In the semi-finals played on Wednesday night, ONGC staged a grand rally to overcame a stiff challenge from inexperienced but spirited Rail Coach Factory of Kapurthala by 9-8 and IOC, down by 4-6 at half time, bounced back into the game with a vengeance to prevail over a never-say-die Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited by 11-9.
ONGC were 7-2 down till 22nd minutes against young RCF in the second semi-final encounter. After having gained a comfortable 7-2 lead, inexperienced RCF players began committing errors and the powerful ONGC team capitalised on these chances to bound back into the game.
The highlight of the match was a brilliant hat-trick by
Sandeep Anitl struck goals in the 23th (penalty stroke), 24th (penalty stroke), 27th (penalty corner), 28th and 30th minutes, changed the complexion of the game. Arun Rawat (8th minute), Jasbir (9th) and Baljinder (27th, penalty stroke) scored one goal each.
Paramjeet (10th, 14th penalty corner), Deepak (17th PC, 19th), Sanjay (17th , 22nd both PS) and Gagandeep (2nd, 27th both PC) put up a good fight before surrendering the advantage.
RCF goalkeeper Gurnam Singh made some brilliant saves. He even foiled Olympian Harpal Singh’s attempt to convert a penalty stroke. At one stage 7-2 up, the RCF players started making mistakes and the ONGC grabbed these opportunities to score goals. With few minutes left, RCF Paramjeet was shown yellow card by umpire Satinder Sharma. Reduced to a four-member team for five minutes, ONGC went all out, with Sandeep Antil sprearheading the attack. Top scorer Sandeep Antil performed his hat-trick by scoring in the 27th, 28th and 30th minutes. With only 24 seconds left, RCF tried to force a penalty corner. Had they succeded, they would have been awarded a stroke. After three penalty corners, a penalty stroke is awarded and they had two to their credit.
ONGC converted five penalty corners out of eight awarded to them. They also converted two penalty strokes out of three. RCF could convert three penalty corners out of five. However,. their penalty stroke was hundered percent as they converted two out of two.
It was local lad Rajpal Singh who virtually engineered IOC’s hard-fought triumph as he scored eight goals, including three in a row in the 26th, 28th and 29th minutes. Olympian Prabhjot Singh got a brace (18th, 23rd). Hamza scored solitary goal in the 14th minute.
Ravipal and Tushar Khandekar excelled for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. Ravipal scored in the 10th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 22nd minutes. Khandekar’s goals came in the 3rd, 13th and 14th (penalty stroke) minutes. Pudlik got his solitary goal in the 29th minute.
IOC forcedt nine penalty corners and three strokes. BPCL forced eight penalty corners and two strokes.
Results: Indian Oil Corporaiton bt BPCL 11-9. Goal scorers for IOC: Rajpal Singh (8), Prabhjot Singh (2(, Hamza (1). BPCL: Ravipal (5), Tushar Khandekar (3), Pundlik (1).
Man of the Match- Jaswinder(IOC)
ONGC, Delhi bt RCF Kapurthala 9-8.
Goal scorers for ONGC Sandeep Antil (6), Arun Rawat (1), Jasbir (1), Baljinder (1).
Goal scorers for RCF: Gagandeep (2), Paramjeet (2), Sanjay (2), Deepak (2).
Man of the match: Jasbir Singh (ONGC)
Tomorrow’s fixture (final): IOC Mumbai vs ONGC Delhi at 7.30 p.m.