KARACHI: The quartet comprising formidable PIA Whites, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) hosts Customs and Railways completed the last four line-up in the fifth Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup hockey tournament at the Customs Preventive Service Club and Sports Complex on Tuesday.

The airlines overwhelmed Railways 10-1 to register their second straight victory that was preceded by two-all stalemate against Pakistan Steels. They have completed their league engagements securing seven points from three outings to top four-team group B. They are followed by Railways with six points.

In the other match, the Chief of Army Staff Cup champions NBP, routed Customs by a tennis score (6-2) to finish on top of group A with nine points. They are followed by Customs with six points.

In a match that fell short of expectations, the national carrier was on a scoring spree right from the word go as their opponents look pathetic and at the receiving end. Kashif Ali played an effective captain’s role scoring half of the tally in 5th, 15th, 45th, 50th and 55th minutes with first two goals coming off penalty corners.

Zubair (10th), Azfar Yaqoob (22nd), Inayatullah (33rd), Ammad Shakeel Butt (35th) and Nohaiz Malik (47th) slammed once. Railways managed to reduce the deficit through their captain Zeeshan 10 minutes before final hooter.

Kashif’s performance earned him second Man of the Match award amounting to Rs10,000.

Member of Pakistan team Arsalan Qadir’s brace of goals helped the NBP conjure up an emphatic 6-2 victory over once superior outfit Customs. Mubashir Ali (6th), Syed Kashif Shah (24th), Dilber Hassan (28th) and Atiq Arshad (40th) minute netted once for bankers. Haseem Khan, member of silver medal winning Pakistan hockey team at the last year’s Incheon Asian Games, brought some respite scoring two quick field goals within a span of eight minutes (40th and 48th) after his team has conceded half-a-dozen goals.

M. Asim of Customs fetched Rs10,000 award of Man of the Match.

The league matches concludes on Wednesday.

Inaugurated by Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, the revival of prestigious Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup has attracted eight teams. Having produced a large number of Olympians and international, Customs under the patronage of its chief collector M. Nazim Saleem, collector S. M. Tariq Huda, additional collector Shafqat Niazi and others have come forward to revive the national game.

As sponsors, they have put a brand new Toyota GLI for winning team, Rs50,000 apiece for winners and runners-up and RS10,000 Man of the Match awards in 15 matches.

The PHF secretary Rana Mujahid has specially come from Lahore while the PHF chief Akhtar Rasool is expected to reach here on Wednesday. A large number of former stalwarts including Islahuddin, Samiullah, Hanif Khan, Waseem Feroz, Iftikhar Syed and Kaleemullah were among others who were present on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, an amount of approximately rupees one million in cash and kind has been contributed by the A O Clinic, Dr Junaid Ali Shah, told Dawn on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s fixtures:

At 2pm: Karachi v Police.

At 4pm: PAF v Pakistan Steels.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2015

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