LAHORE, Aug 30: Defending Champion PIA retained their crown of the Junior Under-20 National Hockey Championship defeating National Bank of Pakistan comprehensively 4-2 in the final at the National Hockey Stadium here Saturday.

Defying strong winds and persistent rains, PIA proved to be the far superior side than the bankers and watched by a sizeable crowd they uprooted NBP defenses with impunity particularly in the second period. NBP had had withstood PIA’s first had onslaught as both teams were lock-horned 1-1 in the first period.

Both sides were presented to Chief Guest PHF Secretary General Muhammad Asif Bajwa before the start of the match who at the conclusion of the match along with former Olympic hockey captain M. H. Atif , PHA President Khwaja Zarar, Chairman National Selection Committee Islahuddin Siddiqui and a number of former Olympic and international hockey players, gave away prizes.

Against the run of play, NBP shot into lead in the 10th minute from Muhammad Taufeeq’s drag-flick penalty corner conversion. PIA exerted tremendous pressure, thereafter, but failed to equalize through their strikers’ erratic shooting and in the process they wasted no less than four penalty corners. NBP defenses petered out in the last quarter of this period allowing Kashif Ali to fire in the equalizer from PIA’s fifth penalty corner a minute before lemon time.Undisputedly, PIA dominated the second half too as they forged ahead in the 45th minute from Zaheer Ahmed’s exquisite field goal. For a brief period NBP retaliated and succeded in neutralizing the lead in the 54th minute through Muhammad Ateeq’s drag-flick penalty corner goal. Nevertheless, NBP never threatened PIA defenses whose forays multiplied. Kashif Ali blasted PIA’s 9th penalty corner in the 60th minute and then four minutes later Shahbaz put the issue beyond doubt with an excellent field goal.

PIA got 9 penalty corners while NBP had 2. Mubarik Ali and Asif Jr supervised the match.

For the third position match, Pakistan Army beat Pak Steel on penalty shoot-out (9-8) after drawn 2-2 in regular time and after extra time didn’t prove decisive.—Agencies