PUNE: Mumbai, Air India, and Karnataka all registered important wins on day six of the 9th Hockey India Senior (Men) National Hockey Championship 2019. Punjab and Mumbai made the quarter-finals from Pool A while Petroleum and Haryana qualifi from Pool B. Railways and PSB made it to the last eight from Pool C, while Air India and Karnataka were the teams to reach last eight from Pool D.
Services overcame a 1-3 setback to hold the defending champions Punjab 3-3 in a thrilling Pool A match. India striker Ramandeep Singh, making a comeback in competitive hockey after a long injury lay-off, scored the first goal for Punjab in the 10th minute but Services equalised in the 24th minute through Biraj Ekka. Though Hockey Punjab struck two crucial goals in the 29th and 34th minute through Rupinder Pal Singh and Akashdeep Singh to take a 3-1 lead, Biraj Ekka and Rajant scored in the 38th and 57th minute to help their team split points and ensure a place in the quarter finals.
Mumbai secured a 3-1 win against Chandigarh in a Pool A match. After Skipper Preetinder Singh’s goal in the 23rd minute gave Hockey Chandigarh a 1-0 lead, Armaan Qureshi’s double in the 25th and 38th minute followed by Shan Keisham’s goal in the 50th minut helped Mumbai turn the game on it’s head.
In another Pool C match, PSB beat Gangpur-Odisha 3-2. Jaskaran Singh (8th), Prabhdeep Singh (12th) and Varinder Singh (32th) scored for the winners while Suman Kujur (19th) and Joseph Toppo (45th) scored for Gangpur-Odisha.
