Air India pick full points

Kishore Kumar’s goal seven minutes from the end gave Bombay Gold Cup champions Air India a 2-1 victory over Mumbai Customs in the quarter-final league, in the Aga Khan hockey tournament at the Bombay Gymkhana on Saturday.

In another quarter-final league match, Central Reserve Police Force, Neemuch, and Bharat Petroleum played out a 1-1 draw.

In the first match of the day’s programme, ONGC rallied after being twice in arrears to get the better of South Central Railway 6-4 via the tie-breaker and qualify for the quarter-final league. The teams were locked 2-2 at the end of full-time.

The Air India - Customs match was a keen contest. The airmen’s ability to hold more possession enabled them to snatch full points.

Former India player Gavin Ferreira put Air India ahead in the 17th minute, but Customs equalized seven minutes after the breather when another former international, John Fernandes, scored from a penalty-stroke.

Kishore Kumar clinched the issue for Air India in the 63rd minute, making the best of a lapse in the Customs defense to slam home.

CRPF looked set to snatch full points from their fixture with Bharat Petroleum till India forward Sabu Varkey found the equalizer to a 27th minute goal from B Oron three minutes from time.

Oron put CRPF ahead in the 27th minute, driving hard and true from a penalty-corner.

Varkey equalized for Bharat Petroleum following a penalty-corner, slapping home a rising ball.

Earlier reports
Indian Airlines, CRPF in quarter-final league
Punjab Police, Air India score easy wins
Bombay Customs beat Chandigarh XI