Karnataka blanks Jharkhand 4-0 to retain title

Bangalore, Jan 13 (UNI) Hosts Karnataka retained the title by trouncing Jharkhand 4-0 in the finals of the fifth All India BSNL Hockey Tournament, played at KSHA Hockey Stadium here today.

The winners led 2-0 at lemon time.

Playing an attacking game right from the beginning, Karnataka's B V Ashoka opened the account in the 19th minute.

O F Thimmaiah increased the lead by scoring a field goal in the 34th minute. Md Nazeem Bepari helped the team take an unassailable lead in the 50th minute, while M A Vinod Chengappa, encashing a penalty corner, scored in the 62nd minute.

In a keenly contested match for the third position, Orissa defeated NTR New Delhi 4-3. the match went into extra time as both the teams were locked 3-3 at the end of regulation time, with Marshal Soren scoring a double in the eighth and 39th minute and Narayan Mohanty in the 33rd minute for the winners and Naresh Kumar (21st minute), Sukhvir Singh (46th) and Premjit Kujur (58th) scoring for the losers.

The golden goal for Orissa was scored by Peter Yess in the extra time.

UNI