E-Paper
SNBP All-India U-16 Hockey: Bhopal pips Sail to win final showdown against Amritsar
MP Hockey Academy will now face Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar, in the final on Monday.
Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy (MPHA), Bhopal, pipped the Steel Authority of India’s Hockey Academy (Sail), Odisha, 4-2, to enter the final of the 4th SNBP All India U-16 Hockey Tournament at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Sunday.
MP Hockey Academy will now face Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar, in the final on Monday. SGPC defeated Jai Bharat Hockey Bhiwani, Haryana, 3-1, in a shootout, as the game ended 0-0 after four quarters, in the other semi-final on Sunday.
Spectators witnessed an enthralling game in the first semi-final as both, MPHA and Sail refused to sit back and stick to a defensive strategy. The wait for the first goal was quite short as skipper Shreyas Dhupe put MPHA in the lead after just six minutes. Ali Ahmad doubled MPHA’s advantage just 60 seconds after the first goal as the Sail dugout looked grim and worried.
MPHA’s defence seemed solid, but one mistake allowed Sail to pull a goal back four minutes before the end of the first quarter and the deficit was down to one with Sail taking a more attack-minded approach, while MPHA were looking for a chance to break on the counter-attack.
MPHA did manage to launch a few counter-attacks, but Sail’s back line did not falter as the first quarter ended with the Bhopal side boasting a 2-1 lead.
In the opening minutes of the second quarter, Sail had a decent opportunity to level the game through a penalty corner, but failed to get the strike on target. The momentum dropped drastically in the second quarter as MPHA were still looking to move forward on the counter-attack as Sail failed to retain possession inside the MPHA penalty area.
A magnificent save from the Sail goalkeeper ensured that MPHA did not double their advantage as another counter-attack failed to manifest into a goal. Shortly after that attack, MPHA’s goalkeeper produced a brilliant save at the other end of the pitch to deny Sail a desperate equaliser. MPHA were awarded a penalty corner in the final few minutes of the second quarter, but the strike was well saved by the keeper and cleared to safety.
The third quarter commenced with the score still stagnant at 2-1. MPHA switched their tactic from counter-attacking to all-out-attack and caught Sail by surprise. In the initial stages of the third quarter, due to the attacking strategy, MPHA were awarded a penalty corner. The initial strike was saved by the goalkeeper, but the ball rolled towards Mohammed Konain, who made no mistake poking the ball into the net to give MPHA a two goal cushion.
MPHA got complacent with the cushion yet again and ended up conceding a penalty corner at the other end. This time, they were punished as Kerobin Lakra smashed a powerful shot at goal, which hit the keeper’s glove and the frame of the goal before landing inside the goal to bring the deficit back to one for the second time in the game as the third quarter ended 3-2 with MPHA still maintaining a slender lead.
Lackadaisical defence from MPHA gifted Sail another glorious opportunity to level the score through a penalty corner. However, the side from Odisha could not capitalise. MPHA re-established a two-goal advantage for the third time during the game, courtesy of Ingalemba Thounaojam in the 50th minute.
In the final few minutes, Sail had the opportunity to nab a consolation goal as they won a penalty corner, but the MPHA keeper was able to save the strike as the Bhopal side maintained a two-goal lead till the end of the final quarter and the game, ensuring their passage to the final on Monday.
After the game
“The boys played according to the game plan we had discussed before the game. We were adamant about pressing and attacking throughout the game and the boys did that and because of that we were able to win today. The boys still have to work on their man-marking and patience for the final game.”
- Lokendra Sharma, coach, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, Bhopal
“We committed a few mistakes in this game which we cannot repeat in the final. We need to work on our defence because we cannot afford to make silly errors in the next game. I am happy with the result because we played as per the game plan and did not lose shape.”
- Shreyas Dhupe, captain, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, Bhopal
RESULTS: SF1: MP Hockey Academy 4 (Shreyas Dhupe 6th; Ali Ahmad 7th; Mohd. Konain 35th; Ingalemba Thounaojam 50th) bt SAIL Hockey Academy 2 (Prashant 11th; Kerobin Lakra 37th). HT 2-1
SF2: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar 0, 3 (Sarabjinder Singh, Saganpreet Singh, Amritpal Singh) bt Jai Bharat Hockey Bhiwani, Haryana 0, 1 (Agyapal) HT 0-0
MONDAY FIXTURES
Final: MP Hockey Academy, Bhopal v Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar.
III-Place: SAIL Hockey Academy, Odisha v/s Jai Bharat Hockey Bhiwani, Haryana.
