LAHORE: While National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Army earned hard-fought victories, PIA demolished Punjab 8-0 as three more matches were decided at the PSO 61st National Hockey Championships in Sialkot on Friday.

National Bank outsmarted Customs 5-2.

NBP’s Mohammad Tousiq contributed goals in the 33rd and 48th minutes, converting short-corners. He was ably supported by Mohammad Atiq (10th), Mohammad Dilber (58th) and Akhtar Ali (26th).

Faisal Shah (10th) and Haseem Khan (58th) sounded the board for Customs.

Meanwhile, tournament director Anjum Saeed imposed a one-match ban on umpire Rana Sajid Ali, supervising this match, for giving wrong decisions. Anjum has also issued a warning to the tournament officer Hassan Askari for turning up late at the event.

In a closely contested match, a 51st minute penalty-stroke conversion by captain Mohammad Imran helped Army save the blushes with a 2-1 win against Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

Army took lead in the 41st minute when Hammad Zafar struck a field goal. But Olympian Shakeel Abbasi, SSGC captain, restored parity four minutes later on a field attempt, before Imran converted the penalty-stroke to give Army decisive lead.

In the day’s another game, Mohammad Irfan scored a brace as PIA bulldozed Punjab 8-0.

Irfan found the net in the 38th and 60th minutes, cashing in on short-corners. Kashif Ali (5th), Azafar Yaqoob (8th), Nohaiz Malik (15th), Rana Sohail (27th), Shafqat Rasool (54th) and Ammad Butt (59th) were the other scorers.

Saturday’s matches:

PAF vs Railways, PTV vs Wapda;

HEC vs Customs, Army vs Steel Mills.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2015

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