Bengal joins the wagon for the semi finals’ on Day-5 of the 4th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2014 (Division B)

• Bengal clinches victory over Andhra Pradesh 6-4
• Hockey Gangpur-Odisha flood Uttarakhand 10-2
• Goa beat Assam 8-5
• Bihar overcome Kerala 17-2

New Delhi 28 March 2014: Bengal and Andhra Pradesh playing for a berth in the semi-finals of the 4th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2014 (Division B), it was Bengal which claimed victory over Andhra Pradesh helping them to go forward in the tournament. Bengal going all aggressive struck its first goal when Raushan Kumar scored through a field goal. Within 2 minutes the team registered its 2nd goal through the penalty corner that they bagged. The team did not stop there and in the 19th minute Nitish Nupani scored a brilliant field goal. Before the break in the 23rd and 28th minute Raushan Kular added two back to back goals. Just 2 minutes before the break Andhra Pradesh finally managed to open their score card when the team got a penalty strike which was taken by Uday Deepu. Going into half time Bengal was leading 5 goals to 1.

In the second half Andhra Pradesh maintained a steady attack and score 3 goals in the 44th, 45th and 53rd minute. In the 58th minute Bengal scored another goal which helped them in registering the much required win.

In Pool A match, Hockey Gangpur-Odisha battered Uttarakhand with a massive difference of 10 goals to 2. Hockey Gangpur-Odisha dunked in a total of five goals whereas Uttarakhand only managed to sneak in only one goal by the end of the first half.  Hockey Gangpur-Odisha’s seven players contributed towards hiking the score for the team where Abhisek Lakra, Sanjay Surin and Rasananda Khalkho contributed two goals each. It was Uttarakhand’s Vikas Pant and Saurabh Patwal who managed to score one goal each in the 17th and the 42nd minute of the game.

In a Pool C match, a rather tough competition was perused between Assam and Goa where the end result was drawn n favour of Goa by 8-5. Though Balin Boro and Rajesh Boro of Assam tried hard by themselves to help walk their team on the path of victory as they pierced in a total of five goals together but team Goa’s squad crushed their hope and emerged victorious. Balin Boro opened the account for Assam in the 8th minute itself and stroked in his second goal in the 27th minute whereas Rajesh Boro sliced in three goals in the 11th, 13th and 34th minute of the game. Alternatively, team Goa replied with equal eagerness as they penetrated six goals in the first half to take lead with one goal at 6-5 till the half time. Goa restricted Assam from scoring even a single goal in the second half of the game and managed to sneak in two goals in the 50th and the 69th minute, both coming through Raju Rathod and marked their victory with 8-5 on board.

In another Pool C match, Bihar stunned Kerala with a shower of goals as they register a whooping 17 goals to 2 win. This one sided game left Kerala paralyzed as Bihar continued damaging their confidence blow by blow. Starting from the 8th minute of the game, Bihar’s dominance prevailed till the 70th minute. It was Bihar’s Subash Sanga and Anand Kumar Bara who tied as the top scorers for the team as they banked five goals to their credit each followed by Prem Ranjan Ekka’s three. Alternatively, Kerala’s Swalih K’s attempt could manage to garner merely two goals for the team in the 31st and the 50th minute which stood like a tiny pebble as compared to the huge pile of 17 goals put up by Bihar.

Results of the Day-

• Pool A – Hockey Gangpur-Odisha 10 Abhisek Lakra (8 and 33 min), Sanjay Surin (35 and 70 min), Rasananda Khalkho (63 and 65 min), Sibren Lakra (12 min), Arbeen Kujur (19 min), Amardeep Dung Dung (47 min) and Deepak Lakra (61 min) Vs. Uttarakhand 2 Vikas Pant (17 min) and Saurabh Patwal (42 min).
• Pool C – Goa 8 Pandurang Sakhalkar (14 and 23 min), Yogesh Mayekar (28 and 30 min), Raju Rathod (50 and 69 min), Arjun Ben (15 min) and Suraj Naik (17 min) Vs. Assam 5 Rajesh Boro (11, 13 and 34 min) and Balin Boro (8 and 27 min).
• Pool C – Bihar 17 Subash Sanga (9, 19, 41, 61 and 66 min), Anand Kumar Bara (20, 29, 48, 59 and 70 min), Prem Ranjan Ekka (43, 53 and 57 min), Bishram Dodray (27 and 64 min) and Ranjan Kerketta (8 and 63 min) Vs. Kerala 2Swalih K (31 and 50 min).
• Pool B Bengal 6 Raushan Kumar (11, 23, 28 min), Ashok Kumar (13 min), Nitish Nupani (19 min), Avoyekka (58 min) Vs Andhra Pradesh 4 Uday Deepu (33 min), Vijay Kumar (44 min), Ram Krishna (45 min), Chandra Shekhar (53 min)

SCHEDULE FOR SEMI-FINALS:

• 30TH MARCH 2014 (SUNDAY)
• 1600 HRS (SEMI-FINAL 1) STEEL PLANT SPORTS BOARD V/s SERVICES SPORTS CONTROL BOARD
• 1730 HRS (SEMI-FINAL 2) BENGAL V/s MANIPUR HOCKEY