October 2, 2003	Thursday	Sha’aban 5, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

QUETTA, Oct 1: Pakistan Railways won the 20th national women hockey championship outplaying Lahore Colour in the final 7-0 played at Government Girls College Quetta ground on Wednesday.

It was Railway’s sixth successive win and 12 times in all. Sukkur clinch third position overcoming Quetta White 5-4 after penalty shootout.

Railways opened the scoring in the 12th minute of the first half when centre forward Sana Javed connected a cross of centre half Saima Afzal.

Saima doubled the score in the 19th minute. Sana was on target again in the 27th minute and four minutes later right-in Azara Nasir made it 4-0. Sana netted her third and the team’s fifth as Railways led 5-0 at half time.

Railways continued its pressure on Lahore Colour and Azara got her second goal in 59th minute and substitute Shahida got her name on the scoresheet in the 66th to complete the rout of Lahore Colour.

Earlier Quetta Whites and Sukkur match for third place ended 2-2 in the stipulated and extra-time and the Fullback Shazia gave Quetta Whites lead in the 31st minute but Sukkur neturalized the advantage through Zakyia in the 38th minute. Razia for the second time gave the hosts lead but Zakyia levelled the score with her second goal to take the tie into penalty shootout.

In the shootout Sukkur’s Shazia, Zakiya and Noor-ul-Ain scored from the spot while Quetta could only score through Sughara and Kalsoom.

Railways Sana Qadir and Quetta Colour’s Rifat Mehdi were the leading goal getters of the competition with 11 goals each but the award of top scorer went to Sana Qadir.