Darshan stars in SAI triumph

Darshan scored a first-half brace as SAI defeated DYSS 4-1 to clinch the DS Murthy and V Karunakaran memorial hockey tournament at a flood-lit final here at the KSHA stadium on Saturday.

Darshan set the ball rolling for the champions, slotting home in the fourth and seventh minutes as SAI led 2-0 even before DYSS could get their act together.

Manu then sounded the board in the 33rd minute as SAI broke into the interval with a comfortable 3-0 lead.

DYSS did pull one back through Kusha in the 52nd minute but SAI’s Nikkin Thimmaiah restored the three-goal cushion two minutes later as his side romped home in style.
Results: Final: SAI: 4 (Darsha 4th, 7th, Manu Patil 33rd, Nikkin Thimmaiah 54th) bt DYSS: 1 (Kusha 52nd).

Third-place play-off: BEML: 3 (Pradeep Maria 19th, Ramesh 40th, Nagalingaswamy 53rd) bt HASC: Nayeemudin 33rd, 46th).
Individual awards:
Best Goalkeeper: Jagdeep Dayal; Best defender: Basant Tirkey; Best midfielder: Nagaseeni; Best forward: Kusha; Player of the tournament: Darshan.