WAPDA defeat HBL in Gold Cup semi-final
In an exciting finish, Wapda defeated Habib Bank Limited (HBL) 5-4 on penalties.
KARACHI:
In an exciting finish, Wapda defeated Habib Bank Limited (HBL) 5-4 on penalties to reach the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup Hockey Tournament final as National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) outplayed Pakistan Steel Mills 2-1 in the other last-four match.
In the tournament’s most intense and longest match, HBL’s Nasir Shehzad dodged two Wapda defenders and the goal-keeper in the 18th minute to open their account. However, former national squad member Sohail Abbas eqaulised four minutes later on a penalty corner. With the match tied after a goal-less second half and the 15-minute extra time, both teams tied at 3-3 before Wapda’s Abbas scored the sudden death goal.
In the other semi-final, Mohammad Rauf opened the account for Steel Mills in the 22nd minute before NBP’s Tariq Aziz struck the equaliser eight minutes later as both teams went into half-time tied at 1-1. The drama continued in the second half till NBP’s Muhammad Ateeq scored the goal in the 60th minute to ensure their team’s place in the final and a clash with the in-form Wapda. Both teams face each other today in the Hockey Club of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2010.
In an exciting finish, Wapda defeated Habib Bank Limited (HBL) 5-4 on penalties to reach the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup Hockey Tournament final as National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) outplayed Pakistan Steel Mills 2-1 in the other last-four match.
In the tournament’s most intense and longest match, HBL’s Nasir Shehzad dodged two Wapda defenders and the goal-keeper in the 18th minute to open their account. However, former national squad member Sohail Abbas eqaulised four minutes later on a penalty corner. With the match tied after a goal-less second half and the 15-minute extra time, both teams tied at 3-3 before Wapda’s Abbas scored the sudden death goal.
In the other semi-final, Mohammad Rauf opened the account for Steel Mills in the 22nd minute before NBP’s Tariq Aziz struck the equaliser eight minutes later as both teams went into half-time tied at 1-1. The drama continued in the second half till NBP’s Muhammad Ateeq scored the goal in the 60th minute to ensure their team’s place in the final and a clash with the in-form Wapda. Both teams face each other today in the Hockey Club of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2010.