National game turns ugly in national varsity tourney

Varanasi, Jan 11 (UNI) The national game today turned ugly at the All India Inter University Hockey tournament underway at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) here with spectators raiding the playing turf and even attacking players from Bangalore University (BU).

The incident took place during Pool A match between hosts BHU and BU, when the visitors protested umpire Raghvendra Rai's decision allowing a goal to BHU in the ninth minute.

Seeing the BU players indulge in a scuffle with the umpire, the BHU players first had a heated argument with their opponents followed by the spectators raiding the playing turf and even attacking the players from the southern university.

BHU security personnel, however, prevented the incident from aggravating further.

''A disgruntled team is free to protest the umpire's decision, but that does not mean the hosts, both players and crowd, are going to get physical with the opponents. The crowd even pelted stones on our player Chandra Verma,'' BU team coach L Gautham said.

The hosts, however, managed to outsmart their rivals winning the crunch match 2-1, with Alok Patel and Shashikant scoring the goals for BHU, while M Kashi pumping in a late goal for the south Indian team.

In their first match yesterday, the hosts had blanked Gurukul Kangdi University, Haridwar 4-0.

In the other matches, local university Mahatama Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith (MGKV) defeated Pune University 2-1 in Pool B match.

Madras University got past Deen Dayal Upadhyaya University (DDU) Gorakhpur by a solitary goal in Pool D fixture, while Barkatullah University, Bhopal pumped 12 goals against a helpless Sambalpur University side 12-1 in Pool C match.

In another Pool C match, Jamia Millia University, New Delhi drew 2-2 with Annamalai University, while Punjabi University, Patiala humiliated Jabalpur University 6-1.

UNI