Tamil Nadu shines, IOC triumphs and Indian Army Fights Back
In the second half, Tamil Nadu asserted its dominance. Just four minutes in, Abishek extended the lead with a field goal in the 33rd minute, bringing the score to 3-1.
Still from the match
CHENNAI: Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu (HUT) opened its campaign in the 95th MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup All-India Hockey Tournament with a 4-1 victory over Hockey Maharashtra in a Pool ‘A’ match here on Saturday. Tamil Nadu set its stance early and maintained its control throughout the game.
Tamil Nadu started strong, with Somanna BP converting a penalty corner in the 15th minute, giving his team a 1-0 lead. Maharashtra responded, with Mayur Dhanavde leveling the score at 1-1 in the 26th minute through another penalty corner. However, Tamil Nadu quickly regained the momentum, as Shanmugavel scored a field goal in the 29th minute, making it 2-1 before halftime.
In the second half, Tamil Nadu asserted its dominance. Just four minutes in, Abishek extended the lead with a field goal in the 33rd minute, bringing the score to 3-1. At the 50th minute, Balachandar sealed the victory with another field goal, finalizing the score at 4-1.
In the 2nd Match of the day, a strong Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOC) edged Hockey Karnataka 3-2 with Gujinder Singh’s goal in the 53rd minute proving decisive.
The two teams began in a brisk manner with each scoring within the first seven minutes. Talwinder Singh slammed home from a penalty corner to put IOC in the lead in just the second minute before Abharan Sudev B equalised for Karnataka.
The scores remained level till the 43rd minute when Aarman Qureshi found the back of the net in the 43rd minute to put IOC ahead.
The 53rd minute saw a lot of action with Desh Poovaiah AA levelling for Karnataka before Gujinder calmly scored from a penalty stroke to secure a thrilling win for IOC.
In the final match of the day, Indian Army (Red) and Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) played out a 2-2 draw. Both the teams showcased exceptional skill and determination.
RSPB took an early lead with Shivam Anand scoring a field goal in the 10th minute, while Budu Tuti from Indian Army equalizing in the 42nd minute. Just two minutes later, Pardeep Singh put RSPB back in lead with a goal in the 44th minute. Indian Army’s Jobanpreet Singh neutralized the score again with a field goal in the 60th (last minute), securing a hard-fought draw against the defending champion.
Results:
Pool A: Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 4 (Somanna B P 15, Shanmugavel 29, Abishek 33, Balachandar 50) bt Hockey Maharashtra 1 (Mayur Dhanavde 26)
Pool B: IndianOil Corporation Ltd 3 (Talwinder Singh 2, Aarman Qureshi 43, Gujinder Singh 53) bt Hockey Karnataka 2 (Abharan Sudev B 7, Desh Poovaiah AA 53)
Pool A: Indian Army-Red 2 (Budu Tuti 42, Jobanpreet Singh 60) drew with Railways Sports Promotion Board 2 (Shivam Anand 10, Pardeep Singh 44)