Defending champions Punjab started their campaign with a big win over Gujarat 30-0 in their opening Pool A match in the Hockey India (HI) Senior Men's National Championship played at the Shiv Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex here Friday.
Punjab started in attacking mode and successfully built pressure on their opponent. Forward Vikramjit Singh scored seven goals followed by Simranjit Singh (6), Inderjeet Singh (5), Sarvanjit Singh (4), Ravi Pal (3), Jarnail Singh (3), Vikas Sharma (1) and Sandeep Singh (1).
Air India overwhelmed Tripura 13-0 to maintain their unbeaten run in Pool B. For Air India, skipper Arjun Halappa and Swamy Vinaya scored three goals each followed by Vikram Pillay (2), Affan Yousuf (2), Pradhan Somanna (2) and Subbaiah Darshan (1).
In another Pool B match, Madhya Pradesh defeated Puducherry 6-1. Vikas Chaudhary and Mohammad Nizamuddin scored twice each for Madhya Pradesh followed by a goal each from Rinku Yadav and Raju Singh.
Sashastra Seema Bal registered their first win of the three matches played in Pool F as they defeated Jammu and Kashmir 2-0. Vinay Bishwakarma and O. Gunamai Singh scored a goal apiece for Sashastra Seema Bal.
In Pool D, Uttar Pradesh drew 2-2 with Andaman and Nicobar while Mumbai got the better of hosts Maharashtra 2-1.
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In Pool H, Tamil Nadu routed Rajasthan 20-0.
Results:
Pool A: Punjab 30 (Vikas Sharma 3, Ravi Pal 6, 26, 70, Sandeep Singh 7, Inderjeet Singh 8, 29, 57, 62, 63, Vikramjit Singh 17, 23, 37, 38, 47, 65, 67, Sarvanjit Singh 24, 31, 35, 55, Simranjit Singh 19, 33, 48, 50, 60, 64, Jarnail Singh 53, 59, 69 ) beat Gujarat 0.
Pool B: Air India 13 (Vikram Pillay 1, 33, Swamy Vinaya 14, 19, 42, Affan Yousuf 29, 67, Arjun Halappa 43, 46, 66, Subbaiah Darshan 52, Pradhan Somanna 53, 56) beat Tripura 0.
Madhya Pradesh 6 (Vikas Chaudhary 42, 51, Rinku Yadav 61, Mohammad Nizamuddin 62, 65, Raju Singh 63) beat Puducherry 1 (Tamilarasan 32).
Pool D: Uttar Pradesh 2 (Siddarth Shankar 21, 30) drew Andaman and Nicobar 2 (Robin H.M. 3, Chandan Aind 60)
Mumbai 2 (Jayesh Jadhav 17, Own Goal 60) beat Maharashtra 1 (Reuben Kedari 56).
Pool F: Sashastra Seema Bal 2 (Vinay Bishwakarma 60, O. Gunamai Singh 68) beat Jammu and Kashmir 0.
Pool H: Tamil Nadu 20 (V. Shanmugam 2, 57, 70, Kannan 8, Ashok Kumar 9, 41, 62, Vinod Rayer 11, 22, 35, 39, 45, Kiran Raje 14, Suresh Kumar 24, 59, 65, Gnanavel 31, Gunasekaran 50, 58, 64) beat Rajasthan 0.