Delhi book the last semi-final berth in national hockey

Jalandhar, Oct 31 (UNI) Delhi today booked the last semi-final berth beating Air India 3-1 in the Dainik Bhaskar-Tracer 62nd Senior National Hockey Championship for Rangaswamy Cup at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium here today.

Delhi will cross swords with impressive Namdhari XI while defending champions Punjab and Sind Bank will fight it out with Indian Oil Corporation Limited in the semi-finals slated for November 2.

The highlight of today's proceedings was the qualification of Delhi for the semi-final with two wins in the three-team Pool C Super League. Despite conceding nine penalty corners, Delhi outscored Air India 3-1.

Meanwhile in a Pool A match, Punjab registered their first win in the tournament with an impressive 2-1 victory over star-studded Indian Airlines. But, that was just an academic affair as the Namdharis have already made the semi-final grade with two wins in the Super League from the Pool.

In another inconsequential match, Railways also registered their first victory in Pool B beating Tamil Nadu by a solitary goal scored by centre-forward Deepak in the third minute after resumption. Tamil Nadu got six penalty corners but failed to found the target even once. Railways got penalty corners in the fifth and 24th minutes which proved abortive.

Indian Oil Corporation have already booked a semi-final spot from the Pool B with two victories while Punjab and Sind Bank had made it to the last four from Pool D Delhi displayed good coordination and forged ahead in the third minute when Jitender Sharda converted their first penalty corner (1-0).

Bikash Toppa scored a field goal to double the margin in the 45th minute. The last goal for Delhi came from Parmod Kumar who scored a field goal in the 52nd minute.

Having placed themselves virtually in an unassailable position, the Delhi players relaxed a bit and Brund Lugun scored the lone goal for Air India in the 54th minute (1-3).

In the Punjab-Indian Airlines match, Punjab took lead in the ninth minute when Jarnail Singh scored a field goal (1-0).

Amit Singh netted the second for Punjab in the 16th minute on rebound hit following penalty corner while Brozen Singh reduced the margin for Indian Airlines ten minutes before the hooter.

In the Pool B match, Tamil Nadu played aggressive from the start but their forwards could not penetrate through Railway's defence.

The lone goal in the match came in 38th minute on a field move by Deepak.

Thursday's fixtures (semi-finals): Delhi vs Namdharis (1300 hrs) Punjab and Sind Bank vs Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (1500 hrs) UNI XC DP PDS RK1925