Moti John hockey: Late reporting on ground curtails match to 20 minutes
Latecomers SNBP’s A and B teams bow out, losing their respective quarter-final matches
There was a fuss at the Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium in Pimpri on Friday morning as Subhadra Nursery Bhosale Public (SNBP) International School’s B-team reported 40 minutes late as per scheduled reporting time to play their quarter-final match against Super XI Girls Academy.
In the ongoing Moti John hockey invitational tournament where the women’s leg saw first quarterfinal match to be played in the duration of 20 minutes instead of scheduled 40 minutes.
“We have no options – one team has arrived late and the opponent team have their exams at 12 noon so we have to make it a 20-minute match (two-quarters of 10 minute each). The next quarter-final will be of 40 minutes as scheduled,” said Edwin Moti John organising secretary of the tournament.
Super XI Girls Academy won the contest 1-0 – thanks to the goal from Sukanya Dhaware in the 13th minute.
“There was an open house day at our school so team reached late at the stadium,” said Firoz Shaikh coach of SNBP hockey team.
Right from the start of the match, things did not go right for the SNBP B-team as they missed one penalty corner in the first quarter.
There were also two field goal chances for them but in both the occasions goalkeeper of Super XI Girls Academy, Anushka B stood tall to save the goals.
Opponent team -- Super XI Girls Academy also had a chance of penalty corner in the first half but missed the goal post and teams went into the half time with a null scoreline.
After resumption, Super XI Girls Academy’s forward players came out with excellent dodging to get a pass ahead of SNBP B defenders.
In the 13th minute, captain of Super XI Girls Academy Sukanya Dhaware’s furious shot from the left side of the D gave her team lead in the match.
In the next seven minutes, the SNBP B team tried their best but failed to score a goal.
St Joseph School in the semi-final
St Joseph School girls came out with an impressive hockey to beat SNBP A 3-2 in the second quarterfinal.
For St Joseph School goal scorers were Rucha Gaikwad (14th minute), Alpana Toppo (18th) and Pratima Singh (29th) while for SNBP A team Sakshi Pagar and Komal Bhandari in 12th and 34th minute respectively.