Wapda trounce Punjab 9-1 in National Hockey

LAHORE, Feb 1 Five goals by penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas and three by Waseem Ahmed designed Wapda's resounding 9-1 win over Punjab on the seventh day of the final round of the 56th National Hockey Championship at the National Hockey Stadium here on Sunday.

Sohail scored three goals in a row, converting the penalty-corners to give Wapda a flying start. Striking first in the 12th minute, he added another two in the 20th and 21st minutes to make it 3-0. Waseem opened his account in the 30th minute. And Sohail, looking hungry for goals, found the cage in the 33rd to change the score-line to 5-0.

A dying minute goal from Waseem, his second, helped Wapda take a 6-0 lead at the end of the first half.

The second session saw Waseem scoring his third off an indirect try on a short-corner in the 52nd minute as the winners surged ahead 7-0. Mudassar Ali fired a field goal in the 60th minute as Wapda were on song with an 8-0 lead. Sohail netted his fifth goal in the 67th minute as Zohaib Ahmed of Punjab scored the consolation goal in the 69th minute.

Two-goal Azlan enabled Habib Bank Limited (HBL) to earn a close 2-1 win against Navy, after scoring both the goals in the first half.

The bankers forged ahead with a field goal through Azlan in the 11th minute. The 33rd minute saw him finding the cage again off a field attempt.

Navy scored their solitary goal through Rao Nadeem in the 48th minute.

Two goals by Mehmood Ali propelled national champions PIA to a convincing 6-0 win against Port Qasim Authority (PQA). PIA led the first half 3-0.

Inayatullah opened the account in the second minute through a field goal. Mohammad Zubair slammed in another in the 24th minute while Kashif Ali banged home in the 26th minute to make it 3-0 in the first half.

The hapless PQA faced more miseries in the second half as Mehmood hit a field goal in the 50th minute while Olympian Shafqat Rasool scored in the 58th minute to make it 5-0. Giving no respite to PQA, Mehmood completed the tally in the 66th minute.

The tray championship results are as follows

Sindh bt Capital Territories 8-0.

Sindh Khalil (14th, 20th mins), Qamar (29th min), Adnan Hamid (34th min) Ashiq (39th, 49th min), Waqas (44th, 45th mins).

KESC and PTV drew 1-1.

KESC Amir Iqbal (fifth min).

PTV Waqar Butt (50th min).

Police beat Balochistan 8-4.

Police Rana Omer (ninth min), Niaz Ahmad (12th, 24th mins), Tasawar Abbas (22nd, 51st mins) Abbas (31st, 62nd, 63rd mins).

Balochistan Mohammad Saleem (13th min), Wasif Siddique (16th, 29th mins), Rana Rauf (32nd min).

PAF beat Pakistan Steel Mills 1-0.

PAF Kashif Yaqoob (43rd min).

Monday fixtures