Hockey: SSGC clobber Port Qasim in championship

SSGC reap a 4-0 win against Port Qasim in National Hockey Championship.

SSGC seem to have recovered their form as their goal-keeper Salman Akbar returned after his one-match ban, to reap a 4-0 win against Port Qasim in the 58th National Hockey Championship taking place at the Faisalabad Hockey Stadium.

Shakeel Abbasi opened the scoring in the 27th minute, followed by Shabbir in the 37th minute to give SSGC the lead before interval.

The second half saw no respite for Port Qasim as well, when Abbas Haider claimed his second consecutive brace of the tournament, converting a penalty in the 55th and scoring a neat goal in the 62nd minute.

PIA upset WAPDA

Fortunes were reversed when defending champions Wapda succumbed to a shock 4-0 defeat against PIA.

Shafqat Rasool scored in the 24th minute later, followed by Waqas Akbar a minute later. Rasool then scored his second goal in the 33rd minute. Yasir Islam sealed victory after scoring in the 44th minute.

HBL stun Steel Mills

HBL came from behind to clinch their win after Steel Mills gave them a scare. Mohammad Rizwan took an early eighth minute goal which was levelled by Rana Zubair who converted a penalty in the 21st minute. Sultan Ashraf gave Steel Mills the lead again after he scored in the 28th minute.

The bankers then scored goals in the 33rd and 41st minute courtesy Zeeshan Ali and Akbar Ali to guide HBL to a win.

NBP defeat Army

Hassan Arifi converted a penalty to score in the 10th minute giving Pakistan Army a lead in the first half. Naeem Akbar then broke NBP’s goal-drought after scoring the equaliser for his side in the 58th minute. Ali Shan then completed the task after his 62nd minute goal.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2011.