Eight hat-tricks witnessed in National Hockey

KARACHI: A rain of hat tricks was witnessed d on the second day of 65th Air Marshall (late) Nur Khan National Hockey Championship in five matches and four were scored in a single match between Pakistan Army and Gilgit at the Abdul Sattar Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.

Army players scored hat-tricks as they thrashed Gilgit 30-0. According to the domestic hockey statistician, it is record in the National Hockey Championship. On the second day five matches ended in a one- sided affair as Pakistan Army bundled out Gilgit by 30-0 without no resistance and their players scored goals according to their wishes. Experienced Pakistan Army players took the advantages from the start and devastated their opponents and scored goal after goal in couple of minutes. Forward Abbas played marvelous game and emerged top-scorer with 5 goals followed by Safeer 4 goals, Ali Haider and Arsalan 3 goals.

The second match also proved one-sided as Mari Petroleum, playing first time in the national hockey, crushed FATA 13-0. Two hat-tricks were also scored in this match when forward Samiullah and Waseem Abrar netted 3 goals each and were successful in scoring the hat-tricks. Abdullah scored 2 goals.

In third match, the difference between a departmental hockey team and regional hockey team was quite visible when SSGC, comprehensively trounced Islamabad by 13-0 goals. Forward Mubashir Ali and Rana Sohail of SSGC presented good hockey skills. Both scored hat-tricks. Mubashir netted 4 goals Rana Sohail 3 goals.

In fourth match Pakistan Navy defeated Balochistan by 6-0. Pakistan Navy were successful in getting penalty corners on which they scored easy goals.

The match between NBP and Police was also one-sided as the defending champions NBP defeated Police 5-1. Police also presented good game gainst the champios. Even at one stage Police had equalided the score at 1-1 in the first period of the game.

However later on the experienced bankers turned the pace of the game in their favour and their defenders tightly marked the Police players. Experienced and penalty -corner specialist of NBP Abu Bakar dragged two goals on penalty corners.