Chief of Naval Staff All-Pakistan Hockey Championship: NBP set up title clash with Wapda

LAHORE: The final of the Second Chief of Naval Staff All-Pakistan Hockey will be the repeat of the final of the last national championship as the national champions National Bank (NBP) and Wapda won their respective semifinals against two ‘Gas’ outfits in contrasting fashions at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore on Saturday.

National Bank scrapped SSGC in shootout. It was experience vs youth. Bank rich with current members of the national team faced the Sui Southern Gas Company comprising mostly young national senior and junior players.

In the very first minute of the second quarter, National Bank forged ahead on a penalty corner when the promising drag flicker Abubakr Mahmood’s deceptive angular flat push found the left corner of the goal.

Game’s tempo increased. SSGC also gained a couple of PCs but it was 1-0 when the teams changed ends.

National Bank were definitely the better side during the third quarter. They created a number of chances including two PCs but the target eluded them. Arslan Qadir made the best attempt. His first time top of the circle shot came off the post. SSGC’s custodian Amjad was in superb form throughout the match.

In the initial minutes of the last quarter, Amjad again foiled two good WAPDA attempts.

However, the last 10 minutes of the match was all SSGC. The youngsters repeatedly entered the bankers circle but couldn’t score off a number of chances including a couple of sitters. With just three minutes left, the gasmen had their only PC of the second half.

After a fumble at the top, the ball reached Rana Sohail in the mid circle who expertly pushed it in to earn his side a well deserved equaliser. After 60 minutes, it was 1-1.

The shootout also provided a lot of drama. Bankers just managed to win it 3-2.

Wapda’s routed SNGPL 4-1 in the second semi-final. Penalty Corner experts often make the difference and the second semifinal epitomised that. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, the least fancied team among the four semifinalists with only a couple of junior internationals, carved out more chances, both open play and penalty corners, but still lost the match by some margin.

Wapda studded with a number of internationals availed four of their five penalty corners while SNGPL failed to convert a single out of seven that came their way.

Experienced international Aleem Bilal was Wapda’s hero with a hat trick. SNGPL had more of the play in the first half but trailed 1-2.

The third quarter saw more or less an even game and the scoreline didnt change. Wapda with a strong bench carried out quick and clever substitutions in the last quarter and added two more PC goals.

Aamir Jan praises navy’s role for promotion of hockey: Director General Sports Punjab Aamir Jan praised navy’s role for the promotion of hockey in the country saying that events like Chief of Naval Staff All-Pakistan Hockey Tournament will play major role in a bid to regain lost glory in hockey which happens to be Pakistan’s national game; he expressed these views at the second semifinal of Chief of Naval Staff Hockey Tournament at National Hockey Stadium on Saturday.

Station Commander Navy Headquarters Commodore Naimatullah, Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti and a large number of hockey enthusiasts were also present on this occasion. Naimatullah also presented a souvenir to Director General Sports Punjab Aamir Jan before the semifinal clash.

Aamir Jan was the chief guest in the second semifinal played between SNGPL and Wapda. The players and officials of both the teams were introduced with him. He also had photographs with the participating players.

Aamir Jan said hockey is our national game and Sports Board Punjab in collaboration with other departments is striving hard for its growth. “Pakistan Navy took an effective measure by organizing a national hockey tournament at world’s largest hockey stadium. All the leading teams of the country featured in this event which reflects its high-profile status,” he added.

He said Pakistan has plenty of hockey talent. “We are quite confident that Pakistan will regain its lost glory in hockey in near future,” he maintained.