CHA to meet PSB in Administrator's Challenge Cup final

Chandigarh, Oct 21 (UNI) Chandigarh Hockey Academy, a residential venture of the Chandigarh Administrator, prevailed over talented the Lucknow Hockey Academy by 2-1 in a hotly-contested semi-final match of the first Administrator's Challenge Cup Hockey Tournament for Under-17 being hosted by the Chandigarh Sports Department at the floodlit Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here tonight.

The CHA and Lucknow Academy players exhibited brilliant hockey.

Both teams regularly used scoops. In the first half, Lucknow Hockey Academy created a number of goal-bearing moves. However, they could not convert their territorial supremacy into goals.

The CHA scored its first half goals through Damandeep Singh. CHA defender Gurjinder Singh sent a powerful drag flick into the striking circle. The ball hit the stick of a Lucknow defender and well-positioned Damandeep capitalised on the rebound in the seventh minute.

After that, the Lucknow Hockey Academy boys swarmed the CHA goal which somehow survived. The Lucknow forced penalty corners in the 10th, 22nd and 25th minutes. However, they found the CHA goalkeeper Sukhjeet and the defenders a stonewall.

The CHA got their second goal against the run of play in the 31st minute. Launching a counter-attack, the CHA forwards pierced the Lucknow defence and Damandeep again was on the target.

The umpires did well to control the game. Chandan Singh (13th minute) of Lucknow and Gagandeep (32nd minute) of the CHA were shown yellow cards in the first half.

In the second half, the Lucknow Hockey Academy were able to reduce the margin in the 58th minute when Deepak Yadav scored a field goal.

Punjab and Sind Bank Academy stroked out Surjit Hockey Academy by an aggregate 5-4 margin in an all-Jalandhar semi-final contest.

The teams played a one-all draw in the regulation 70-minute period and 15 minutes of extra time could not resolve the deadlock.

In the tie-breaker session, Punjab and Sind Bank scored through Paramjit Singh, Varinder Singh, Joga Suingh and Rajnish Kumar. For Surjit Hockey Academy, Upinder Singh, Deepinder Singh and Satinder Singh converted their strokes. Gurjant Singh and Bikramjit Singh wasted their strokes.

Surjit Hockey Academy were responsible for their exit as they could convert only one penalty corner out of nine awarded to them.

On the other hand the bankmen succeeded in conveting one penalty corner out of two they earned in the 16th and 22nd minutes.

It was PSB who fired the first salvo by converting their penalty corner in the 22nd minute through Anandeep Singh. PSB led by a slander 1-0 lead in the first half.

Surjit Hockey Academy pressed hard on resumption and their efforts bore fruits as they neutralised the lead with a penalty corner conversion through Bikramjit Singh in the 58th minute.

Three-time Olympian gold medallist Balbir Singh Senior watched both semi-finals.

The finals will be played tomorrow at 3.45 p m.

UNI XC HS ATI RR HS2250