BSF outplays BPCL for title

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, MAY 5. The adivasi boys, lean, mean and ruthless, won a prize their opponents might have fancied was theirs for the taking.

Border Security Force (BSF) was the only team from Punjab which came to the city to take part in the hastily organised tournament.

The team from Jalandhar had a new look, too; they had more players from the tribal belt of Orissa and Bihar than from the vast plains of Punjab. And they turned out to be quite a formidable outfit for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in the final of the Sixth Guru Tegh Bahadur All India Gold Cup hockey tournament at the Mahindra stadium. BSF struck once each in the two sessions to win the week long event.

The home team laboured without any gain. The strains of having played a tough match against Air India on Friday was visible.

BSF, which had beaten Indian Airlines in the first semifinal, had a day's rest and was geared up to give their best shot. In the event they nearly outplayed BPCL which had to put more men back to defend to stop the marauding BSF forwards. Merinus Lakra put BSF 1-0 six minutes before the break and then Shinu Herenz clinched the final with rasping shot five minutes from time.

BSF played neat and precise hockey and showed excellent coordination. They rarely lost the ball and tackled aggressively without coming too close to being penalised for fouls. Christopher Ekka gave nothing away; as was Amrit Lakra and Berinder Guria, who made a couple of confident and superb clearances.

But once again, it was the BSF's frontline's fundamental principle of using both the flanks that saw them take command right through the 70 minutes.

P. A. Boppana, who was awarded the `Best player of the Tournament' for his overall performances, staved off an early threat from Peter Tirkey.

BSF captain Harbhajan Singh played the pivot brilliantly and setting up opening for the likes of Peter Tirkey, Habbil Topno, Shinu Herenz and Merinus Lakra.

Saurabh Bishnoi who had a wonderful outing on Friday against Air India was once again sure of his interceptions, but it was match he needed some one to take pressure off him. International Anuragh Raghuvanshi played a stellar role and Ajay Kumar chipped in with a few good efforts.

BPCL had two chances in the first half. K. T. Mohan seemed to be in good position, but his hit was blocked by Jasjit Singh, Then a move by Sabu Varkey, Deepak Sharma was cleared by Sandeep Singh.

It was Sandeep Somesh's poor hit from the midfield that resulted in a snap goal for BSF; Merinus Lakra giving a perfect finish to a swift move down the centre by Peter Tirkey. BPCL came close to get the equaliser after forcing four penalty corners in the first minutes of the second half but Jasjit Singh, who had a good day, foiled Varkey.

Shinu Herenz made sure of a BSF win driving a firm shot past a stunned Bopanna whose only folly was that he kicked away a first time shot by Sandeep Singh almost in the same direction it came from.

Herenz did not make a mistake after he received a short pass from Kuljinder Singh. BSF became the third outstation to team to win the Guru Tegh Bahadur Cup. They won Rs. 40,000 as prize money.

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