Ludhiana: Heeran, Kila Raipur cruise into hockey tourney final

The Aryan Cup under-16 district hockey tournament concludes on Sunday with players of Aitiana facing Rampur lads for the third place and Kila Raipur clashing with Heeran in the grand finale

Heeran and Kila Raipur cruised into the final of the Aryan Cup under-16 district hockey tournament, being organised at the Prithipal Singh Hockey Stadium of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), on Saturday.

Players vie for ball during a hockey match in Ludhiana on Saturday. (Manish/HT)

In the first semifinal, Heeran delivered a dominant performance, defeating Aitiana 6-2. Heeran’s Diljot Singh set the pace early, scoring in the fifth minute to give his team a 1-0 lead. Just two minutes later, Joban Singh doubled the score and Udhamvir Singh made it 3-0 by the 10th minute. Manvir Singh added a fourth goal by converting a penalty corner with precision, further solidifying Heeran’s lead.

Joban struck his second goal in the 32nd minute. Aitiana managed to pull one back in the 38th minute through Prince, reducing the deficit to 5-1. However, Joban Singh completed his hat-trick in the 46th minute, extending Heeran’s tally to 6-1. Gurnoor Singh of Aitiana scored a consolation goal in the 47th minute, making the final score 6-2. Gurnoor’s impressive effort earned him the title of best player of the match, presented by AP Singh Brar from PAU.

The second semi-final between Kila Raipur and Rampur was a nail-biting affair. Rampur took an early lead in the 15th minute through Jaskaran Singh’s field goal. However, Kila Raipur’s Jobanpreet Singh equalised in the 38th minute, leaving the match tied at 1-1 by the end of regulation time.

The winner was decided through an eight-second penalty shootout. Both teams initially scored three goals each, leading to a tie. Rampur’s Harshpreet Singh and Anmoldeep Singh found the net, while Kila Raipur’s Kasampreet Singh and Rajvir Singh matched their efforts. With the scores still level, the sudden death round was introduced. Anmoldeep Singh scored for Rampur, but Kila Raipur’s Rajvir Singh and Gurvijay Singh converted their penalties, securing a 5-4 victory for their team.

Kasampreet Singh was named best player of the match for his crucial role in the win. Ajay Pal Singh Punia, general secretary of Ludhiana Hockey, presented him with the award.

The tournament concludes on Sunday with Aitiana facing Rampur for the third place and Kila Raipur clashing with Heeran in the grand finale.