Chandigarh emerge champions

Haryana side turn it on in second half for emphatic 4-0 win

Hockey Chandigarh emerged champions of the 7th Hockey India Sub-junior boys national championship (A Division) at the Hockey Stadium here.

In the final on Sunday, Chandigarh produced a scintillating second-half show to outclass Sports Authority of India (SAI) 4-0.

After a drab first half, Sanjay opened the scoring for Chandigarh in the 40th minute and Amandeep added another seven minutes later. Sanjay struck again in the 65th minute while Harpreet Singh rounded off the scoring in the 69th minute.

Indian national team chief coach Roelant Oltmans was among the dignitaries in attendance and he came away suitably impressed. “We are always on the lookout for young talent. These boys are really good,” he said.
Chandigarh could have taken the lead in the 10th minute but SAI goalkeeper Sai Sachin R made a good save to deny Sanjay from a penalty corner.

Chandigarh came out all guns blazing after the change of ends, earning a penalty corner in the 40th minute. Sanjay slammed the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Amandeep struck the second goal when he found himself at the right place to tap the ball in, which had ricocheted off Sachin’s stick.

Sanjay, finding himself in plenty of space, made it 3-0 for Chandigarh with a powerful effort from inside the circle. Harpreet completed the rout with a strike a minute before the final whistle.
DH News Service

Results: Final: Hockey Chandigarh: 4 (Sanjay 40th, 65th, Amandeep 47th, Harpreet Singh 69th) bt Sports Authority Of India: 0.

Third place: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy: 3 (Haider Ali 8th, Shailendra Singh 27th, 32nd) bt Hockey Odisha: 2 (Sunit Lakra 25th, Sushant Toppo 37th).