SPORTS

P&S Bank Hockey Academy make waves
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, January 31
The fledgeling Punjab and Sind Bank Junior Hockey Academy have been creating waves in the hockey circuit with their excellent performances. The sub-junior team of the academy, in fact, “outperformed” many other established teams during the Junior National Championship, to finish as runners-up.

Punjab and Sind Bank chairman and managing director N. S. Gujral said the bank’s hockey academy team has done exceedingly well in many a tournament. The academy team proved their mettle by finishing second in the Junior Nationals by beating strong teams like Maharashtra 4-1, Chandigarh 1-0, Punjab 6-5, Manipur 4-3 and drew with Bihar 1-1.

The Punjab and Sind Bank established their own hockey team in 1985, and the team have made an indelible mark in all the major tournaments in the country.

The team have lifted such prestigious trophies as the Nehru Gold Cup, Bombay Gold Cup, Indira Gold Cup, Scindia Gold Cup, Beighton Cup, Surjit Hockey Tournament and the Shastri title.

Mr Gujral informed that the bank set up its first hockey academy in 1994 at Jalandhar, and set up its second hockey academy in April last year in Delhi to catch young players and groom them to their fuller potential. The trainees were selected by a panel of former Olympian players after extensive trials.

RCF roll over ICF, finish third
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, January 31
Rail Coach Factory (RCF) rolled over Integral Coach Factory (ICF) 5-0 to take the third place in the men’s section of the PNB-All India Railway Hockey Tournament at the Shivaji Stadium on Friday.

North Eastern Railway and Central Railway were declared as the joint winners of the third place in the women’s section when incessant rains forced the abandonment of the match.

RCF forged ahead in the ninth minute when Lalit Ekka converted a penalty corner. The second goal too came off a penalty corner when John Tirkey converted one in the 13th minute. Sabal Kumar Barla converted a penalty stroke to complete the first-half scoring (3-0).

Jagmohan Singh added the fourth goal a minute after resumption while M Ekka completed the tally three minutes later. Northern Railway will take on Western Railway in the women’s final at 12.30 on Saturday while in the men’s section too, teams from the two zones will clash in the final at 2.30 pm.

Parimarjan Negi felicitated
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, January 31
Master Parimarjan Negi, who won the Asian Youth Chess Championship for Under-10 in Teheran in April last year, was felicitated at a function in the Capital. He is also the National Under-9 Boys Chess champion.

Parimarjan was ranked number one in the Delhi State Under-12 Championship and the Delhi State Rapid Chess Championship. He is the country’s youngest-rated player and youngest ever to figure in the International Rating List of the FIDE, the world governing body of chess.

Coached by G. B. Joshi, Parimarjan is a student of Amity School. His ambition is to follow the path charted out by world champion Vishwanathan Anand. Negi was presented a Godrej I-Space, a unique and conceptual kid furniture.

Najafgarh Sports Club lift Shanti title

New Delhi, January 31
A fine knock of 60 by man of the match Pradeep Sangwan and a deadly bowling of 3 for 12 by Sourabh Shukla helped Najafgrh Sports Club defeat West Delhi Cricket Academy by five wickets and won the first Shanti Memorial Under-19 Cricket Tournament at the Najafgarh Sports Club ground.

Najafgarh Sports Club: 138 for 5 in 34 overs (Pradeep Sangwan 60, Vishwas Sehrawat 32, Chayan Kokcha 3 for 23).

Sachin deadly

A devastating bowling feat of 5 for 15 by Sachin Aggarwal helped National Stadium Coaching Centre defeat Sumit Dogra Academy by 26 runs and entered the semi-final of the first Chetan Sharma Academy Under-12 Cricket Tournament at the S S Khalsa School ground.

Scores: NSCC: 103 for 6 in 20 overs (Vikas Sisodia 32, Kunal Srivastava 31, Shivam Sharma 26, Shakeel Ahmad 3 for 16). Sumit Dogra Academy: 77 all out in 17.4 overs (Himanshu Kumar 27, Sachin Aggarwal 5 for 15, Ankit Kumar 3 for 11).

Pankaj Mishra shoots gold
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, January 31
Inspector Pankaj Mishra of 107 Bn shot 403 out of a possible 600 to emerge the champion in the full bore rifle individual event of the 33rd Border Security Force Inter-Frontier Platoon Weapon Shooting Competition held at the Reoti Shooting Range, Central School of Weapons and Tatics, BSF, Indore. Ct. Kanakraj of 82 Bn scored 403 to win the second position while Inspector Sunil Kumar of 53 Bn took the third place. Naresh Pal won the medal in he centre fire pistol while Vivek Sharma emerged winner in the aipdm pistol.

Udayan shines

Udayan Prashara took six wickets for 15 runs to help Clintus beat Amity School, Saket by 77 runs in a limited-over cricket match played at the Teri Oval ground. Scores: Clintus: 126 all out (Shaunak Kumar 44, Udayan Prashara 26 n o). Amity: 49 all out (Saransh 13, Udayan 6 for 15).