Daily Times

LAHORE: The final of the 2nd Chief of Naval Staff All Pakistan Hockey Tournament at the National Hockey Stadium Lahore here Sunday presented an exciting duel between country’s top two sides. Thrice National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) went two goals ahead and each time Pakistan WAPDA reduced the margin to one. Eventually, with just two minutes left for the final hooter, WAPDA made it 4-4 to send the match into a shootout. Here again, it ended equal after five shoots had been taken by the each side. Finally, NBP won the final in the sudden death shootout. The Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Kaleem Shaukat, was the chief guest. He distributed the prizes.

National Bank made the initial inroads. In the third minute, Bilal Qadir squandered a good chance with a poor shot. Four minutes later he made amends by putting his side ahead with a good finish off a fine move. Within two minutes, a banker forward was felled in the WAPDA circle. The resulting penalty stroke was calmly converted by their captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, wrong footing the goalkeeper. WAPDA reduced the margin in the 17th minute. A swift left side move culminated in Ajaz Ahmed flicking the ball in. But just three minutes later, NBP restored the two goal advantage. A brilliant aerial ball covering more than 50 metres was collected well by Mohammad Dilber near the WAPDA circle. He then put it past the onrushing WAPDA net minder.

The third quarter saw spectacular hockey at a fast pace. Just two minutes after the restart, an electrifying WAPDA raid rattled the bankers’ defence and Irfan Jr slotted in from a close range to make it 3-2. Pole to pole game ensued. WAPDA, in particular, utilising both the wings, created some good chances but couldn’t get the desired result because of the rival custodian Mohammad Mazhar and poor finishing. National Bank also had a few opportunities. In the 43rd minute, Abu Bakar made it 4-2 converting his side’s first penalty corner with a perfect high flick. In the last quarter, WAPDA had a penalty stroke of their own. Lanky international Aleem Bilal flicked it to goalkeeper’s left and it was 4-3. WAPDA wasted four back to back PCs. When they couldn’t make anything out of their seventh PC as well, it seemed all over. National Bank also made a few attacks. One of which saw a fast WAPDA turn over of which Shajeeh Ahmad scored the equaliser in the 58th minute from a close range. It ended 4-4 and shootout went out in favour of National Bank in the sudden death phase.

SNGPL upset SSGC 4-1: Earlier, in the match between two sister ‘Gas’ outfits, the inexperienced Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) with just a couple of junior internationals surprised Sui Southern Gas Company, a formidable combination of senior and junior internationals. In fact, no one was expecting such a one sided result. SNGPL ran into a four goal lead. SSGC got a consolation goal netted by Mohammad Rizwan Jr.

Published in Daily Times, October 8th 2018.