SNBP All-India Hockey Tournament: Dhyanchand Academy and Army Boys Sports Company in final

Pune, 6th October 2023: Dhyanchand Academy and Army Boys Sports Company will lock horns in the final of the 7th SNBP All-India Hockey Tournament (Boys’ Under-16) at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi here on Saturday.

The tournament is being organised by the S.E Society’s SNBP Group of Institutes’ under the aegis of Hockey India and Hockey Maharashtra.

Army Boys Sports Company made it to the final staging a comeback win over debutants Round Glass Academy winning a seven-goal thriller (4-3).

An early penalty-corner conversion in the opening minute of the second quarter by Amandeep Singh (16th) helped Round Glass Academy take the lead. The goal also closed out the first-half in favour of Round Glass.

In the second-half, Army Boys Sports Company came out all guns blazing to reel off four goals-in-a-row. A brace by Bhavuk (31st & 54th) and a goal each by Harpal (40th) and Sanchit Horo (55th) put the Army Boys 4-1 up.

However, the fighting Punjab-side Round Glass Academy had Amandeep Singh (58th and 60th) convert 2 penalty-corners to complete a hat-trick of conversions to cut the margin to 4-3 but end up on the losing side.

In the first semifinal, last years’ third placed Dhyanchand Academy proved to be a tad too superior to host’s SNBP Academy and win 5-2. With the first quarter ending goalless, Dhyanchand Academy won a penalty-stroke which Manjeet Singh Chavan (16th) converted. Ritesh Pandey (27th) converted a penalty-corner to go 2-0 up. Jayhind Yadav (28th) increased the tally to 3-0 at the half-way mark.

Changing ends, hosts’ SNBP pulled one back through a penalty corner conversion by Sumit Barwa (32nd) before the match went into a lull. Dhyanchand Academy had Kallu Ali (55th), then make it 4-1. SNBP fought back two minutes later with Flavius Tirkey (57th) narrowing the margin to 4-3.

However, a minute later Mithalesh Yadav (58th) helped Dhyanchand Academy sign off with a 5-2 result

RESULTS (Semifinals)

SF-1: Dhyanchand Academy: 5 (Manjeet Singh Chauhan 16th – p.s; Ritesh Pandey 27th – p.c; Jayhind Yadav 28th; Kallu Ali 55th; Mithalesh Yadav 58th) bt SNBP Academy: 2 (Sumit Barwa 32nd – p.c; Flavius Tirkey 57th). HT: 3-0

SF-2: Army Boys Sports Company: 4 (Bhavuk 31st & 54th; Harpal 40th; Sanchit Horo 55th) bt Round Glass Academy: 3 (Amandeep Singh 16 – p.c; 58th – pc, 60th- pc). HT: 0-1