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LAHORE, March 30: Defending champions PIA were stunned Saturday when youthful PTCL pulled off a major upset with a shock 3-0 victory over national carrier in the 49th HBL national hockey championship at the National Hockey Stadium.
The star-studded PIA looked a disjointed lot while PTCL having youngsters among its ranks were always attacking.
Although, PIA had the services of stalwarts like Shahbaz Ahmad, Kamran Ashraf, Shafqat Malik, Rahim Khan, Mohammad Usman, Qamar Ibraheem, Ahmad Alam and Ali Raza, they failed to deliver.
PIA goalkeeper Ahmad Alam, who was off-colour today, came out charging and tried to clear the ball from the middle of the circle but was left guessing when the PTCL scored.
PTCL went 3-0 up before the breather to shock their experienced rivals.
The national carrier were stunned when PTCL broke the ice through Aqeel Hussain whose powerful flick found the cage in the 10th minute.
But there was more misery in store for the champions as international Saleem Khalid doubled the lead in the 15th minute.
PIA’s Shahbaz Ahmad, a former Pakistan captain who has staged a third comeback last November, though, found the net in the 24th minute but umpire whistled for a foul which a PIA player committed before Shahbaz’s try.
Two minutes later, PTCL’s Shakeel Abbasi completed the rout with a 26th-minute goal.
Mohammad Usman of PIA was given marching orders seven minutes before time for a dangerous foul.
Olympian full-back Naveed Alam scored the first hat trick of the championship helping Allied Bank recover to beat Police 3-2.
The match was exact replay of Friday’s HBL-Wapda thriller.
Naveed opened ABL account with a 6th-minute goal which was levelled by Police’s Jawaid Iqbal in the 19th minute. Police went 2-1 ahead with a Rana Atif goal in the 23rd minute.
In the second half, Naveed not only got the equaliser in the 64th minute but completed his hat trick in style with a winner in 67th minute.
The lowly-rated Pakistan Army held a formidable Habib Bank 1-1.
Before the first goal came from Army, bankers received a blow when Waseem Ahmad, a Pakistan midfielder, had to leave the field due to muscular pain when the game was ten minutes old.
Army gained the lead when Tabarak Hussain netted in the 15th minute. HBL reduced the margin in the 24th minute through Kashif Jawwad.
Captain Tahir Zaman celebrated his appointment as national coach by scoring three goals in 8-1 thrashing of Punjab Whites.
NBP led the first half 3-1.
Tahir Zaman scored goal in the 29th, 33rd and 39th minutes. Imran Ali Warsi, Mohammad Nadeem, Zahid Iqbal, Asif Ahmed Khan and Mohammad Anis added one goal each in the 20th, 34th, 59th, 67th and 69th minutes.
For Punjab Whites, Atif Yaqoob reduced the margin in the 33rd minute.
A match-winner from Mansoor Sheikh in the 59th minute awarded Sindh Colours a narrow 1-0 win against Punjab Colours.
Wapda scored a thumping 10-0 triumph over Sindh Whites.
Shahid Rabbani (6th, 30th, 43rd, 58th and the 69th minutes) was on target five times. Rehan Butt (18th, 48th and 54th minutes) netted thrice. Mudassar Ali Khan completed the proceedings with 35th and 54th-minute goals.
Sunday’s fixtures:
HBL v Sindh Whites and PTCL v Sindh Colours 12.10pm; Wapda v Punjab Whites and ABL v Punjab Colours 2.00pm; NBP v Army and PIA v Police 4.00pm.
