JOIN USAir India and Comptroller & Auditor General Of India scored hard-fought victories to march into the final of the men’s Senior National Hockey Championship (Division A) here at the Major Dhyan Chand Hockey stadium on Saturday.
While Air India rode on out-of-favour India striker Shivendra Singh’s 68th-minute winner to edge past Uttar Pradesh 2-1, Chandan Singh netted Comptroller’s winner six minutes from time in their gritty 3-2 win over Railways.
Air India and Comptroller will play the final on Sunday.
Air India and Uttar Pradesh fought tooth and nail in their last-four battle. UP gifted Air India a penalty corner in the 13th minute and Gaganpreet Singh made no mistake.
Amir Khan, however, brought UP on level terms in the 43rd minute. With the clock winding down, Shivendra showed his class, bursting down the flank before slotting the ball home to spark of wild celebrations.
In the semifinals of the Women’s Senior National Championships at Bhopal, Haryana and Railways will face off in the summit tie on Sunday.
Results (all semifinals): Men: Air India: 2 (Gaganpreet Singh 13th, Shivendra Singh 68th) bt Uttar Pradesh: 1 (Amir Khan 43rd); Comptroller & Auditor General Of India: 3 (Darshan DS 27th, 34th, Chandan Singh 64th) bt Railways: 2 (Amit Rohidas 23rd, 55th).
Women: Haryana: 7 (Manjit Kaur 11th, Navneet Kaur 13th, 44th, 67th, Navjot Kaur 31st, Ritu Rani 60th, Bharti 63rd) bt Jharkhand: 3 (Poonam barla 10th, 33rd, Binita Xess 38th); Railways: 11 (Jasjeet Kaur 27th, 55th, Poonam Rani 29th, 69th, Anupa Barla 32nd, 64th, TH Chanchan 47th, 51st, 58th, 59th) bt Punjab: 1 (Gurjit Kaur 39th).