Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Oct 23 (IANS) It was yet another great day for hockey at the Chhattisgarh Hockey League (CHL) with Chakradhar Champions blazing past Sanskardhani Strikers 6-4 in a lopsided evening match in Raipur.
The proceedings were witnessed by the Deputy Chief Minister of the state, Shri Arun Sao, which only motivated the players to deliver their best at the state-of-the-art Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium, Raipur.
The match started with seasoned Indian player SV Sunil’s brilliance. When chances weren’t coming for Chakradhar, all he needed was a pass from the midfield. From there, he sent down a precise pass to Yuvraj Walmiki in the circle, who attempted a shot and scored on the rebound. Just a minute later, CC created another opportunity that resulted in a goal.
Arjun Yadav managed to steal the ball from the Strikers defender just outside the circle and passed it in front of the goalpost. Kartik Yadav was ready with a big dive to swell the lead to 2-0. It did not take long in the 2nd quarter for the Champions to come up with their third goal.
This time, it was a PC conversion, a rare combination where the ball was directed towards Sunil by the drag-flicker, and then to Walmiki, who just guided the ball into the post.
But despite the setbacks, Strikers did pull one back in the quarter when Shahrukh sounded the board on the rebound. Vaibhav Singh Chandel could not stop the bullet strike from inside the circle. Things further went downhill for the Strikers when keeper Aditya Kumar Netam went for a tackle against Kartik. As a result, Walmiki received a penalty stroke and struck another goal.
The third quarter was a complete turnaround for Sanskardhani Strikers, where they produced two more goals. The first was a field goal by Shahrukh, while the other came in the form of a late penalty stroke by Shamsher, bringing the score to 4-3.
Come the fourth, CC came all guns blazing, and Manish scored through a fine deflection in the circle. That goal, in a way, ended all hopes for the Strikers.
Another PC meant another scoring opportunity for Sunil’s team; the goal did come, albeit on the rebound by Walmiki, who went on to score his third of the night. Shamsher concluded the proceedings with a field goal, with the score reading 6-4. Shahrukh won the striker of the match award, while Walmiki won the player of the match.
Mainpat Titans, Bailadila Bulls play out close 3-3 draw
Earlier in the day, Mainpat Titans and Bailadila Bulls played out a closely fought 3-3 draw. It was Pradeep Mor’s Titans who dominated the proceedings in the first two quarters, while Chinglensana Singh’s Bulls were the better side in the last two.
Titans led by two goals until halftime, but Jaskaran Singh and Rahul Yadav brought their team back when no one expected them to. The match was so evenly poised that both the sides managed to score twice in the dying minutes of the match. For his excellent play, Prahalad was awarded the striker of the match, while Karan Dhanuk won the player of the match.
–IANS
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