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LAHORE, March 29: A dying-moment winner from Sohail Abbas saved Habib Bank who brushed aside Wapda’s challenge 3-2 in the opener of the 49th national hockey championship at National Hockey Stadium Friday.
Wapda gave HBL, last season’s runners-up, an early scare with a first half goal and kept their lead intact till the breather.
The thriller began with a 26th-minute goal from Rehan Butt who deceived HBL goalkeeper Ejaz Khokhar to slam home a spectacular close range goal that gave Wapda a slim but morale-boosting lead.
The bankers however came back in the field after break and scored two quick goals within five minutes to move 2-1 ahead.
Pakistan full-back Sohail netted his first to restore parity for his side with a 50th-minute penalty corner conversion. Discarded international striker, Haider Hussain, made it 2-1 when he was on target five minutes later.
HBL were again threatened by Wapda who put the match on an even keel through Mudassir Ali in the 66th minute.
Sohail, the penalty corner specialist, came to the rescue of the bankers a minute before time and converted the fourth short corner.
The game might have ended in a stalemate but the bankers were lucky as the last-minute retaliation from Wapda went in vain with skipper Ashraf Ali missing the target during the ninth penalty corner.
A second half stroke converted by Ghazanfar Ali enabled PTCL to hold Police 1-1.
Police gained the lead first when discarded international Imran Yousuf converted a penalty stroke in a minute before the half time whistle.
Both the teams were on the defensive and rarely made inroads during the game.
The defending champions PIA, commenced their campaign in style with a 7-0 thrashing to Punjab Colours 7-0.
The star-studded national carrier led the first half 3-0.
PIA, who were skippered by Olympian Kamran Ashraf, despite having the former Pakistan captain Ahmad Alam under the bar, drew first blood through Imran Sarfaraz in the 3rd minute.
Inam-ur-Rehman doubled the lead converting the fourth penalty corner when the game was only 15 minutes old. The champions surged 3-0 ahead when Shafqat Malik slammed a field goal in the 20th minute.
The national airlines, having several Olympians among their ranks, continued the onslaught yet in the second period, slotting home through Shafqat in the 41st minute.
Rahim Khan, who played a major role in PIA’s last year win in the final against HBL, banged home the fifth, while Mohammad Usman converted the sixth penalty corner in the 55th minute.
Ali Raza came into action exactly ten minutes later when he slammed home a seventh penalty corner to seal the fate of the match.
Formidable ABL registered a 3-0 win against Sindh Colours. ABL led the first half 2-0.
Having several stars like Pakistan captain Mohammad Sarwar, Mohammad Saqlain, Naveed Alam, Pakistan coach Khawaja Junaid and Asif Bajwa in its ranks, the bankers got their first goal through Asif in the 21st minute.
The former international scored when he netted a perfect pass from Sarwar.
Naveed Alam scored the second in the 31st minute, converting the 10th penalty corner.
Although Sindh Colours changed their strategy in the second half and played with a packed defence, they failed to contain the ABL attack that resulted in a third through Aleem Raza (46th minute).
Although ABL effectively converted the penalty corner they seemed to be weak in this area since they could capitalize one out of 14 only. Sindh Colours wasted all four that were awarded to them.
Army defeated Punjab Whites 3-0 leading the first half 1-0.
Mohammad Irfan put Army 1-0 ahead with a 6th-minute goal.
The soldiers waited for 39 minutes to double the lead when Mohammad Saleem (45th minute) scored. Farhan Shukar (55th minute) completed the rout.
NBP scored a facile 5-0 victory over Sindh Whites.
The bankers opened the account through Mohammad Anees in the 11th minute, while Asif Ahmad, who scored twice today, found the cage in the 23rd minute to enhance the lead.
NBP netted three more after the interval starting with Zahid Iqbal goal in the 41st minute before Asif slammed his second in the 53rd minute.
Junaid Iqbal completed the tally by scoring a field goal in the 58th minute.
Saturday’s fixtures:
Pool ‘A’: NBP v Punjab Whites 12.10pm; Wapda v Sindh Whites 2.20pm; HBL v Army 4.00pm.
Pool “B”: Punjab Colours v Sindh Whites 12.10pm; ABL v Police 2.00pm; PIA v PTCL 4.00pm.
