Islamabad Fighters clinch 5-A-Side Hockey Championship title
Islamabad Fighters defeated Quetta Warriors 8-5 to win the inaugural 5-A Side Floodlight Hockey Championship at the National Hockey Stadium here on Saturday night.
Islamabad Fighters defeated Quetta Warriors 8-5 to win the inaugural 5-A Side Floodlight Hockey Championship at the National Hockey Stadium here on Saturday night. Lahore Lions downed Faisalabad Falcons to claim third position while Karachi Sharks defeated Peshawar Lions on penalty shoot out after 2-2 draw to claim fifth spot. A good crowd turned up for the final of the championship. Hockey lovers arrived from outside Lahore as well, including around 80 kids from a Sargodha based hockey academy. Azam Saigol, PIA Chairman, was the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony. Winners Islamabad pocketed Rs.700,000 as prize money while runners-up Quetta took Rs 500,000. Lahore were given Rs 400,000, Faisalabad Rs 300,000, Karachi Rs 200,000 and Peshawar received Rs 100,000.
The final started on a fast pace as Islamabad immediately showed their intentions as they went up within the first six seconds when Olympian Rizwan Senior hit the target with a forceful shot. In the third minute, it was 2-0. Faisal Qadir finished a good move. Within seconds, Quetta pulled one back by who else but Rizwan Jr, their saviour on so many occasions. His excellent hit went in off goal keeper’s pads. Islamabad continued to get more opportunities. A clinical move saw Mohammad Ejaz easily making it 3-1. Islamabad mainly controlled the proceedings while Quetta looked for the goal mostly via long range hits. Immediately on resumption, Faisal added another through an unstoppable rising hit from some distance. It seemed the final was going to be a one sided affair. However, Quetta once again came back with an excellent display. Relying mainly on counter attacks, they scored three goals in a five minute spell of exhilarating hockey. First, captain Kashif Ali netted one from close range. Then Faisal Shah’s wonderful reverse hit found the target. It was 4-4 when Rizwan Jr covered some ground and sounded the far corner of the goal with a slap shot. It was his 10th goal of the tournament. Stung by this sudden reversal, the Islamabad side tried utmost to regain the upper hand. It was an end to end stuff with the two goal keepers, the busiest in the field. In the last minute of the second period, Quetta again committed the mistake of giving Faisal time and space, whose thunderous strike made it 5-4.
The last 12 minute period started. Here, the experience of the Islamabad side showed. They had the better of the exchanges. Rizwan Sr gave the final touches to a fast move. Then, that man Faisal sprinted with the ball from left to right to be in a position to fire in his trademark shot for his fourth goal of the night. It was 7-4 with time running out for Quetta. They reduced the margin with the goal of the final. Kashif running along the goal line eliminated two defenders and then with a superb reverse hit beat the goal keeper. But it was a matter of too little and too late. The final finished at 8-5 when man of the tournament Rizwan Sr, after a delightful dribbling run, completed his hat trick.
(Source: Daily Times)
(Source: Daily Times)
