January 25, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 24, 1426

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KARACHI, Jan 24: PAF shrugged off a late KESC charge to qualify for All-Pakistan departmental hockey quarterfinals after a narrow 3-2 triumph at Hockey Club of Pakistan on Tuesday.

The airmen took the lead through a Kashif Yaqoob goal in the 11th minute and were on target five minutes later through a Saeed Shah strike.

PAF maintained their domination into the second half and netted their third when Mohammad Hayat slotted home in the 54th minute.

Bouncing back from three goals down, KESC reduced the margin through a Asif Baig effort in the 61st minute. KESC threatened PAF with their second through Omar Hayat a minute before time.

PIA also reached last eight stage with a 5-2 win over Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

Though it was a fine start for PIA but it seemed SSGC would give them a tough time by equalising twice through Sohail Abbas during the first half. Shafqat Malik opened the scoring for PIA with a 17th minute strike which was equalised by Sohail on a penalty stroke in the 21st minute.

The national carrier again went ahead, this time through Kamran Ashraf in the 28th minute only to see Sohail putting the game on an even keel two minutes later. But it was all over for SSGC as PIA again took the lead with a 35th-minute penalty corner converted by Ali Raza.

Mukhtar made it 4-2 in the 67th minute, while Mahmood Ali sealed the fate of the match with the fifth the next minute.

Ammar Ishrat, who struck five times including a hat trick and four-goal Haseem Khan helped NBP reach quarterfinals by pulverising HEC 16-0.

Akhtar gave a flying start to the bankers with an eight-minute goal, Qwais Maoeed was on target in the 12th minute, while Haseem slotted home in the 14th and 18th minutes.

Naeem Akbar came into action in the 21st minute, Ammar got his first in the 31st, while Haseem netted his second a minute before breather.

Haseem sounded the backboards with his third in the 39th before Ammar found the cage in the 43rd minute.

Usman Tariq’s strike in the 47th minute was followed by a penalty stroke conversion by Tariq Aziz in the 54th minute and field effort by Akhtar the next minute.

Ammar banged home thrice in a row in the 60th, 67th, and 68th minutes to score his treble before Naeem completed the rout a minute before fulltime whistle.

Habib Bank (HBL) became Pool ‘B’ champions when they overcame a fighting Wapda 4-3.

Shafqat Rasool opened HBL’s account in the ninth minute followed by an Adeel Hussain strike in the 18th minute.

Wapda’s Waqas Sharif pulled the first in the 22nd minute before the bankers netted their third in the 47th minute through Shafqat and Kashif Jawwad converted a penalty stroke four minutes later.

Trailing behind closely, Wapda posed serious threat to the HBL by slamming home via Waqas in the 56th minute and then converted a short corner through Shahid Rabbani three minutes before the end.

Wednesday’s fixtures:

Pakistan Steel v Railways at 10.00am; Wapda v Navy at 12.00pm; Customs v PTCL at 2.00pm; NBP v PIA at 4.00pm.