KARACHI, Aug 2: Rauf XI and PWD confirmed berths in the final of the Inter-club hockey tournament at Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) on Tuesday. Farooq Khan was the architect of Rauf XI’s win scoring two goals to help beat Al-Saghir 3-2 in a thrilling encounter.
Rauf XI took lead in the 11th minute through Ahsan Ali when he converted a penalty corner, but Al Saghir’s Arif Hanif levelled it just eight minutes later. Farooq slammed a superb goal in the 29th minute to make it 2-1 for the winners. The lead remained intact till the end of first-half.
He struck again just a minute after the breather to make the score 3-1. Al-Saghir’s forward Saghir slammed a goal in the 57th minute but only to reduce the margin 2-3. They tried their best to level the score but failed to strike till the final whistle.
In second semifinal, PWD thrashed PIA Youth 10-3. Four goals by Mohammed Yousuf, including a hat trick, and three by Alay Hasan were the highlights of the match. The final will be played on Wednesday at HCP.—PPI