BHU bags national varsity title after 58 yrs

Varanasi, Jan 15 (UNI) Hosts Banaras Hindu University (BHU) today defeated Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU-Amritsar) 2-1 to clinch the All India Inter University Hockey title after a long wait of 58 years.

Playing electrifying hockey in the title clash at Amphitheatre ground of the central varsity, the hosts drew first blood when Manoj Kumar scored on a penalty stroke in the 20th minute.

The team upped the pressure on the opponents securing another penalty stroke. Player of the tourney GNDU custodian, Guru Iqbal, however, foiled BHU's plans of increasing the lead by saving the rasping strike of Teja Pratap.

The Amritsar forwards followed it up with sustained raids in the BHU striking circle and were rewarded in the 33rd minute, when Paramjit Singh scored a superlative field goal to level the score.

The second half belonged to BHU with its forwards regularly gliding past the Amritsar defence, but goal keeper Guru Iqbal stood like a mountain defending brilliantly.

The decisive goal, however, came from the stick of Shashikant who scored through a penalty corner to clinch the title for BHU.

BHU secured 10 penalty corners, but converted one, while the GNDU team were only rewarded with a solitary short corner.

Today's win means BHU has won the national tourney after a gap of 58 years, as it was in 1948, when it last won the premier varsity tournament.

Earlier, Punjab University, Patiala bagged the third place demolishing Annamalai University (5-0) in a one-sided match to decide third and fourth places.

GNDU custodian Guru Iqbal was adjudged the best player of the tourney, while Bachittar Singh, the forward of the Amritsar University was declared best forward. BHU short corner specialist Shashikant finished best defender of the tournament.

With today's win BHU took sweet revenge from GNDU, who beat them 0-1 in the title clash in 1993, when the tourney was last played at BHU.

UNI