Railways, Puduucherri, AI qualify for knockouts

Railways, Puducherri, Karnataka, Air India, Kerala and Orissa qualify for the knockout rounds of national senior (men`s) championship.

Bhopal: Railways, Puducherri, Karnataka, Air India, Kerala and Orissa on Tuesday qualified for the knockout rounds of Hockey India`s first national senior (men`s) championship here.

Even though the keenly contested league match between Railways and Combined Universities ended in a 2-2 draw, the former qualified due to a better goal average.In a Pool G match, Puducherry thrashed Tripura 10-0, while Karnataka defeated Chandigarh 7-1 in a Pool B tie. A star-studded Air India faced some tough times before getting the better of Uttar Pradesh 3-2 in a Pool D match. Kerala defeated Chhattisgarh 2-0, while in the last night match, Orissa humbled hosts Madhya Pradesh`s State Men`s Hockey Academy team 3-0 to ensure a place in the knockout rounds. PTI