LAHORE: Wapda and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) entered the semi-finals of the 61st National Hockey Championships after registering contrasting victories in the quarter-finals at Sialkot on Wednesday.

Aleem Bilal scored four times as Wapda stormed into the last four, crushing Higher Education Commission (HEC) 7-1 while NBP edged past Pakistan Navy 2-1.

Three short corner conversions saw Aleem score in the eight, 22nd and 39th minutes before he cashed in on a penalty stoke for his fourth in the 53rd.

Mohammad Imran scored twice, first through a field attempt in the eighth before capitalising on a short-corner in the 55th. Tasawwar Abbas scored Wapda’s other goal in the 19th with Ashar Ali grabbing a consolation for HEC three minutes from time.

NBP came back from a goal down to overcome Navy in the second quarter-final.

Navy seized an early lead when Akbar Ali struck in the third minute but Mohammad Tousiq levelled in the 16th and Syad Kashif Shah netted ten minutes later for the winner.

Two more quarter-finals will be played on Thursday with PIA facing Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Pakistan Army clashing with Punjab.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play