PIA beat NBP in national hockey final, complete title hat-trick
PIA achieved the objective in a penalty shoot-out after a full time goalless draw.
LAHORE (APP) – Defending Champion, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) completed a hat-trick of the winning the national hockey championship title defeating National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out in the final on Wednesday at the national hockey stadium.
PIA which won the previous two titles at Karachi and Sialkot respectively seemed determined to perform a hat-trick and eventually achieved the objective in a penalty shoot-out after a full time goalless draw.
In the first few minutes, PIA made a couple of good inroads and forced two penalty corners in succession. NBP goal keeper Mazhar Abbas made a good save with stretched leg.
Thereafter, NBP had more of the play in the first half. They made far more entries into the circle, had a few chances but didn’t have an attempt on the goal. The tempo of the game was slow on most of the occasion due to long term ball possession and aimless shooting.
In the second half as well, the younger NBP side remained in ascendancy for most of the time without complete domination. The bankers made a good open play attempt and off their second PC in the 36th minute, Abu Bakr’s forceful and well directed push was brilliantly saved by the PIA net minder Imran Butt.
Frustration crept up and some rash play was witnessed. PIA’s Shafqat Rasool in the 37th minute and NBP’s Atiq in the dying minutes were shown yellow cards.
The fitter bankers had a few good chances in the last quarter. They had best opportunity to finish the match in the last minute. Imran Butt, who had a fantastic game affected two wonderful saves off field attempts.
The penalty shootout went to the wire. NBP, who started, failed to find the target in the first two shoot outs while the PIA did. Bankers were successful in the last three while PIA had wasted the fourth. Hence, it was 3-3, when PIA’s Kashif Ali stepped in for the last shoot out. He was successful and the joyous PIA squad went wild.
Scorers in the Penalty Shootout:
PIA’s scorers: Haseem, Zubair, Shafqat Rasool & Kashif Ali
National Bank’ scorers: Arslan, Bilal & Dilber
Meanwhile in a classification match for the third place Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) upset fancied Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) 1-0. After two empty sessions of play, both the side had long periods of ascendancy in the third quarter.
WAPDA had three PCs but custodian Amjad Ali, SSGC’s hero of the day, was impenetrable. The young SSGC were definitely the better team in the last 15 minutes. And they scored the all-important goal in the 53rd minute through Rana Sohail.
Punjab’s Minister of Sports, Jahangir Khanzada gave away the winning
trophy to PIA captain Muhammad Irfan while Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals, Nawabzada Chaudhry Sher Ali handed over the runner up trophy to National Bank of Pakistan’s skipper Tauseeq.
Police’s brilliant forward Sharjeel, who had three hat-tricks in the tournament, was declared the ‘Best Emerging Player’.
