Sardar Singh’s Jaypee Punjab Warriors have been crowned Coal India Hockey India League champions for 2016 thanks to a 6-1 win over finalists Kalinga Lancers on Sunday (21 February).
A trio of field goals - which count double in this season’s Coal India Hockey India League - gave the Warriors a resounding victory in front of a sell-out crowd, with Armaan Qureshi, Matt Gohdes and Satbir Singh getting the crucial strikes, with Germany legend Moritz Fürste on target for the Lancers.
The result gave the Warriors their first Hockey India League title at the third time of asking, having been the losing finalists both in 2014 and 2015.
The Warriors started the match the brighter of the two teams and needed just four minutes to make a mark on the score-board with talented Indian youngster Qureshi firing home to give his side a 2-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter, with Fürste reducing the deficit in the second period with a well executed penalty corner.
The title was effectively put out of Kalinga’s reach in the third quarter, with Australia striker Matt Gohdes and India star Satbir Singh taking the score to 6-1 with open play goals. The Lancers fought hard until the end, but the Warriors defence - marshalled by Australian Kookaburras icon and man of the match Mark Knowles - held firm.
Sunday’s thrilling Championship match came at the end of a dramatic, action-packed and unpredictable weekend of top class hockey.
On Saturday, Jaypee Punjab Warriors sealed their place in the showpiece final with a 3-1 win over Delhi Waveriders, with 21-year-old Qureshi’s field goal proving to be crucial as the team that finished second in the league phase overcame their third-placed rivals.
The second semi-final saw the form book completely ripped up, with title favourites and hosts Ranchi Rays going down to a shock defeat against Kalinga Lancers, a side that finished fourth in the league phase.
The Rays, who finished top of the standings and earned an impressive five wins from five matches on home soil in the process, trailed 1-0 for the majority of the match before Trent Mitton levelled the scores three minutes from the end of the game.
Remarkably, the Lancers were ahead again a minute later when Coal India Hockey India League top scorer Glenn Turner netted a penalty corner only for fellow Australian international Tim Deavin to send the game into a shoot-out with a last minute effort.
The Lancers scored all four of their attempts in the shoot-out, with Ranchi’s British stars Ashley Jackson and Barry Middleton both failing to score as the Rays crashed out of the competition.
The battle for third place was won by Delhi Waveriders, with Mandeep Singh scoring from open play to give his side a 2-0 win over Ranchi prior to Sunday’s title match.
For more information about the competition, visit the Coal India Hockey India League website by clicking here.
The Hockey India League is a prime example of the sport becoming more professional which is one of the four big goals identified by the International Hockey Federation to reach the Hockey Revolution's aim of making hockey a global game that inspires the next generation. For more information about the Hockey Revolution, click here.
RESULTS
Saturday 20 February
Semi-Final 1: Jaypee Punjab Warriors 3, Delhi Waveriders 1
Semi-Final 2: Ranchi Rays 2, Kalinga Lancers 2 (Shoot-out: 2-4)
Sunday 21 February
3-4 Play-Off: Delhi Waveriders 2, Ranchi Rays 0
Final: Jaypee Punjab Warriors 6, Kalinga Lancers 1
AWARDS
Coal India Player of the Tournament: Rupinder Pal Singh (Delhi Waveriders)
Dhruv Batra Maximum Goals: 16 - Glenn Turner (Kalinga Lancers)
Ponty Chadha Upcoming Player of the Tournament: Sumit (Ranchi Rays)
