NEW DELHI, October 30: Chhotu Ram Zamidar High School (Sonepat) made it to the semifinals of the 27th Junior Nehru hockey tournament despite losing their pool 1 match 0-2 to Birsamunda Vidyapitha (Rourkela) at the National Stadium here today. The winners, too, have qualified for the last four stage.In another match in pool 1, ASC Boys Coy (Bangalore) edged past St Ignatius High School (Gumla) 5-4 after leading 4-0 at the breather.
For the Rourkela team, Severan Barla (41st minute) and Junal Bara (52nd) were the goal-getters against CRZ School from Sonepat, who failed to convert any of the six penalty corners they earned in the match. Birsamunda were awarded four penalty corners.
In a 15-minute blitz, ASC Boys Company rattled St Ignatius with four goals and looked certain to score a runaway win. S. Rajnarayan (14th minute, penalty corner conversion), S Suresh Kumar (21st and 24th) and Ajay Kumar (29th and 52nd) scored for the Bangalore team which crossed sides with a 4-0 goal advantage.
But St Ignatius came back into the game after the interval with renewed vigour. Edmon Kerketta (37th minute), Biknu Munda (45th) and Dinesh Tirkey (50th) threatened to upset the calculations of the Bangalore team. Ajay Kumar scored his second goal in the 52nd minute to put ASC Boys 5-3 ahead.
Edmon Kerketta (60th) further narrowed the margin for the losers.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Printer-friendly page