CUTTACK 21-Apr-2013 310
Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) beat Sundargarh 2-1 in the repeat final to retained the title in the Nalco Cup State Hockey Championship, which concluded at the floodlit Barabati Stadium here today. Trailing 0-1 at the half-time, RSP made a splendid fight-back to clinch the title for the third time in a row. Bikash Kujur gave Sundargarh the lead in the 12th minute, while Rajen Kandulna and Ignacious Toppo sounded the board for RSP in the 42nd and 69th minutes respectively.
Odisha High Court Justice Madan Mohan Das handed over the trophy at the closing function. Altogether 18 teams, including three new teams, participated in the championship, which was organised by Hockey Odisha from April 14. The three new entrants were East Coast Railway, CRPF Group Centre (both Bhubaneswar) and Bargarh.
OTHER RESULTS:
PRELIMINARY MATCHES:
Ganjam (Sunil Ekka, Punit Kujur, BK Behera, Santosh Baxla) beat Nalco (J Xess) 4-1.
Mayurbhanj (Sanjib Ekka 2, Prem Sanjay) beat Odisha Police (S Minz) 3-1.
Khurda (Lachhman Lakra 3, Fransis Topno, Deepak Lakra, Manoj Lakra, Sushil Kullu, Ranjan Minz) beat Balangir (Ramesh Chandra Das) 8-1.
Khurda (Deepak Lakra 3, Lachhman Lakra 2, Ranjan Minz 1) beat Mayurbhanj (Sanjib Ekka) 6-1; Cuttack (Prasanna Tirkey 3, Sanjay Xalxo 2, Binit Ekka 1 Birendra Yadav 1) beat Phulbani 7-0.
QUARTERFINALS:
Angul (Amit Lakra 2, Paulous Ekka, Dhusan Xalxo) beat East Coast Railway (Mohammad Khalid, Binay Kujur) 4-3.
Rourkela Steel Plant (Dilip Toppo, Alsem Lakra) beat Khurda (A Dung Dung) 2-1.
Cuttack (Prasanna Tirkey 3, J P Minz, B K Swarnakar, Anjel Minz, Theophil Kujur 1 each) beat Bargarh 8-0.
Sundargarh (Joseph Topp, Arvin Barla, Prakash Barla) beat Ganjam 5-0.
SEMIFINALS:
Sundargarh beat Angul to win 3-2 in tie-breaker.
Rourkela Steel Plant (Sudhir Horo, Rajen Kandulana, Alseam Lakra) beat Cuttack 3-0.
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PHOTO: RSP players lift the State hockey trophy in Cuttack on April 21, 2013.
