Bengaluru, Central Secretariat shines in Hockey men championship

Central Secretariat and Bengaluru Hockey Association began their campaign Monday with big wins in their respective groups in the Arise Steel 9th Hockey India Senior Men Championship ('B' Division) here. While Central Secretariat team from Delhi hammered Hockey Gujarat 20-1 in Pool 'C', Bengaluru HA trounced Tripura Hockey by a similar margin in Pool 'D'.

M Gunasekar scored three goals for Central Secretariat while T Arunkumar and Govind Singh Rawat netted twice. In the Bengaluru HA-Tripura match, Kusha Gowda pumped in six goals for the former while V Raja found the net five times. In an exciting game in Pool B, Sashastra Seema Bal drew with Manipur Hockey 3-3. Sahastra Seema Bal led 3-2 with a minute to go but Mani Singh scored in the dying seconds to secure a tie for his team.

The tournament was inaugurated by Aadhava Arjuna, managing director, Arise Steel and Secretary, Tamil Nadu Basketball Association. Results: Pool C: Central Secretariat beat Hockey Gujarat 20-1; Andhra Pradesh drew with Madhya Pradesh 2-2. Pool D: Bengaluru Hockey Association beat Tripura Hockey 20-1. Pool A: Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy beat Hockey Bihar 9-0; Telangana Hockey beat Hockey Uttarakhand 5-3. Pool B: Hockey Jharkhand bt Hockey Jammu & Kashmir 6-2; Sashastra Seema Bal drew with Manipur Hockey 3-3.

(With inputs from agencies.)