Bankers dethrone PIA to lift hockey cup
LAHORE: Two-goal Ayub helped National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) dethrone PIA and lifted the All-Pakistan NBP Hockey Tournament trophy at the Johar Stadium here on Saturday.
Both the teams were tied at 1-1 in the first quarter of the match as PIA earned the lead first when Imran Khan struck a field goal in the 6th minute.
Akhtar Ali restored the parity in the 11th minute cashing in on a short-corner.
The bankers then scored five goals in a row while conceding one to get a commanding 6-2 lead.
First Sabtain added a field goal in the 18th minute for 2-1 lead. Ayub made it 3-1 scoring his first in the 20th minute.
PIA reduced the lead 3-2 in the 29th minute when Waqas Akbar, two goal scorer, fired his first.
NBP then showed no mercy for the national carrier, as Ayub compounded their miseries netting his second goal in the 47th minute and Bilal Qadir making it 5-2 in the same minute.
Attique sounded the board in the 52nd minute to increase NBP lead to 6-2.
Waqas found the cage in the 54th minute to score PIA’s third goal.
Pakistan Hockey Federation president Akhtar Rasool, who was the chief guest, gave away the cash prize of Rs50,000 and trophy to the winners and Rs35, 000 to the runners-up.
Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2014