GURJINDER’S BRACE STEERS PSPB AGAINST PNB, ITBP SPLIT POINTS WITH INDIAN NAVY

 60TH DIAMOND JUBILEE SNBP-NEHRU SENIOR HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

Khel Today Bureau

New Delhi: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, thanks to a brace of excellent conversions by deep defender Gurjinder Singh, outplayed Punjab National Bank 4-2 in the quarter-final league of 60th SNBP-NEHRU Hockey Tournament at Shivaji Stadium today.

Earlier, ITBP was made to split points as they played a goalless draw against Indian Navy. Both teams came close to scoring on several occasions but found the rival defenders strong enough to keep the respective marksmen at bay. Navy missed a couple of sitters through Pawan Rajbhar and Rajat Minz — rather ITBP’s Vatandeep stood between them and a goal.

The combined Petroleum team were a slow starter against PNB. The bankmen had a close look at PSPB goal through Navin Antil and Nitin. They This were however were unable to go past skipper Devendra Walmiki. This was before the oilmen replied with a series onslaughts with Harjeet and Roshan spearheading their attack.

After a goalless first quarter Gurjinder Singh struck first in the 20th minute converting the third penalty corner with a fine along the carpet hit. He made it 2-0 in the beginning of the third quarter with another brilliant conversion.

Abhimanyu, Navin and Gursimran combined well to put pressure on PSPB team before Satish Munda connected a cross from captain Gursimran to make it 1-2.

The last quarter belonged to Petroleum boys as they found the target in quick seccession through Rohan Minz and Aarman Qureshi. PNB, once a force to reckon with, brought down the margin to 4-2 Bhagat Singh Dhillon converted a penalty corner minutes before the hooter.

Indian Navy unlucky to score an outright victory against ITBP, would clash with PSPB next on Dec 3.