Former champions Border Security Force, Jalandhar, unleashed a commanding performance to outclass last year's runners-up Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd 4-1 in a Pool Y semi-final league match of the 45th Bombay Gold Cup Hockey Tournament in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Coming through from Pool J in the quarter-final league stage by virtue of a superior goal difference, BSF, who led 1-0 at half-time, got their goals through Ranjit Singh (2), Mukhjinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh.
BPCL, playing their first match in the tournament, having being seeded directly in the third phase, pulled one back early in the second half when former international Sabu Varkey found the target from a penalty-corner.
BSF have made a bright start to the semi-final league stage, where they meet tricky opponents Namdhari XI in their next match on Friday.
The second match of the day -- a Pool X fixture -- saw local challengers Air India register a 3-1 win over defending champions Army XI.
Len Aiyappa, Dilbagh Singh and Harshpreet Singh scored for the airmen,
Anil Kumar Ekka scored for the armymen.
In Thursday's matches, ONGC will battle it out with Namdhari XI while in the second match, IHF Development XI is pitted against Punjab Police.