UP, Railway Sports Promotion Board enter semi finals

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh and Railway Sports Promotion Board today entered the semi-finals of the 4th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2014 (Division A) here.

Uttar Pradesh recorded their fourth consecutive win today by beating Bhopal 6-1, while Railway Sports Promotion Board posted a 2-2 draw against Hockey Haryana. In a Pool C match, Uttar Pradesh`s Diwakar Ram`s goals scoring spree started as early as in the 5th minute of the game. His second goal came in the 18th minute and ended with another one in the 63rd minute. For Bhopal, the lone goal was scored by Nadeem Uddin in the 51st minute. Hosts Uttar Pradesh have remained undefeated in the championship so far. In the second half, Shivdeep and Damandeep netted the ball in the 38th and the 46th minute to turn the game Haryana`s favour. A Pool D match between Hockey Haryana and Railway Sports Promotion Board witnessed a sturdy fight that ended in a draw. Although the first half of the match saw Railway Sports Promotion Board dominating with Belsajar Horo scoring a field field goal in the 14th minute to lead 1-0 at half time. But a crucial field goal in the 56th minute by Vinod Kumar Singh helped Railway Sports Promotion Board tie the match 2-2 and book a semi-final berth. In other matches of the day, Air India Sports Promotion Board registered a 3-0 win over Chandigarh Olympic Association in Pool A, while Hockey Karnataka defeated Hockey Jharkhand 7-2 in a Pool C tie. In a Pool B match, Comptroller & Auditor General Of India thrashed Manipur 8-1. Pool A - Air India Sports Promotion Board 3 Probodh Tirkey (30th min), Armaan Qureshi (60th) and Vinod Vishnu (62nd) vs Chandigarh Sports Association 0. Pool B - Comptroller & Auditor General Of India 8 Deepanshu Bhargav (1st min) Siddharth Shanker (22nd, 47th and 52nd) Mahendra Kumawat (32nd, 37th) Darshan D S (49th) and Balwinder Singh (61st) vs Manipur 1 Jayenta Meitei K (45th). Pool B - Sports Authority of India 2 Ashok (10th), Manish Bishnoi (52nd) Madhya Pradesh 1 Nilakanta Sharma (25th). Pool C - Uttar Pradesh 6 Diwarkar Ram (5th, 18th and 63rd), Hamza Mujtaba (46th), Tushar Khandker (55th) and Sunil Yadav (57th) vs Bhopal 1 Nadeem Uddin (51st). Pool C - Hockey Karnataka 7 Pradhan Somanna P (42nd, 58th), Biju B Y (41st), Mudappa M K (43rd), Kusha J P (48th), Thimmanna P L (54th) and Somanna C K (62nd) vs Hockey Jharkhand 2 Chandan Aind (63rd) and Prakash Kerketta (68th). Pool D - Haryana 2 Shivdeep (38th) and Damandeep (46th) vs Railway Sports Promotion Board 2 Belsaraj Horo (14th) and Vinod Kumar Singh (56th). Results: Pool A - Air India Sports Promotion Board 3 Probodh Tirkey (30th min), Armaan Qureshi (60th) and Vinod Vishnu (62nd) vs Chandigarh Sports Association 0. Pool B - Comptroller & Auditor General Of India 8 Deepanshu Bhargav (1st min) Siddharth Shanker (22nd, 47th and 52nd) Mahendra Kumawat (32nd, 37th) Darshan D S (49th) and Balwinder Singh (61st) vs Manipur 1 Jayenta Meitei K (45th). Pool B - Sports Authority of India 2 Ashok (10th), Manish Bishnoi (52nd) Madhya Pradesh 1 Nilakanta Sharma (25th). Pool C - Uttar Pradesh 6 Diwarkar Ram (5th, 18th and 63rd), Hamza Mujtaba (46th), Tushar Khandker (55th) and Sunil Yadav (57th) vs Bhopal 1 Nadeem Uddin (51st). Pool C - Hockey Karnataka 7 Pradhan Somanna P (42nd, 58th), Biju B Y (41st), Mudappa M K (43rd), Kusha J P (48th), Thimmanna P L (54th) and Somanna C K (62nd) vs Hockey Jharkhand 2 Chandan Aind (63rd) and Prakash Kerketta (68th). Pool D - Haryana 2 Shivdeep (38th) and Damandeep (46th) vs Railway Sports Promotion Board 2 Belsaraj Horo (14th) and Vinod Kumar Singh (56th).