Tata's, Indian Airlines
enter semi-finals

Tata Sports Club, Mumbai, edged past Central Railway 3-2, after leading 2-0 at the breather, to enter the semi-finals of the 40th Bombay Gold Cup hockey tournament, at the Mahindra stadium in Mumbai, on Monday.

In the second match of the day, star-studded Indian Airlines pipped youthful Karnataka XI 2-1, after leading by the same margin at half-time to also make the last four stage.

Tata's were sitting pretty after centre-forward Shivendra Singh scored a brace in the first ten minutes. He gave his team the lead in the eighth minute when he converted the first penalty-corner off a Claes Ferreira pass.

A couple of minutes later, he was again bang on target with a solo effort.

However, the railwaymen fought back with goals in the 44th and 58th minutes thorough centre-forward Tabrez Khan, following a goal-mouth melee, and Umar Farooq, from a solo effort.

Former international Asad Khan scored the match-winner with just five minutes to go for the hooter off defender Rahul Bhatkar's pass.

Indian Airlines, who fielded as many as seven former and current internationals, found Karnataka a bit hard to beat. In the tenth minute, forward Virender Singh put the airmen ahead when he sounded the board after receiving a pass from defender Irshad Ali.

Karnataka centre-half John Verghese restored parity in the 23rd minute, making the best of a back pass from international Arjun Halappa.

Altaf-Ur-Rehman, another former international, clinched the issue for Indian Airlines in the 34th minute, trapping a free-hit and dispatching home.

Earlier reports
Air India, Punjab and Sind Bank in quarter-finals
Indian Airlines, Tata's storm into last 8