LAHORE-Dar Hockey Academy (HA) and Tahir Zaman Academy recorded victories in the SBP Hi-Tech Under-17 Boys Hockey Tournament here at the National Hockey Stadium ground-2 on Thursday.
Olympians Tauqeer Dar, Tahir Zaman, Khalid Hameed, international player Azfar Yaqoob and other officials were also present at the ground. Four top hockey academy teams – Dar Hockey Academy Lahore, Tahir Zaman Hockey Academy Gojra, Ustad Aslam Roda Hockey Academy Gojra and Fiaz Hockey Academy Sargodha are participating in the four-day tournament.
Though Dar Academy downed Aslam Roda Academy, Gojra 4-0 for their second successive victory, it wasn’t an easy win. The first half was quite evenly fought and it remained goalless. In the second half, Dar Academy repeatedly penetrated the opponents’ defence and scored four goals, two apiece via open play and penalty corners. Field goals were shared by Abdul Rahman and Salman Ashiq while Waseem and Safyan Khan converted penalty corners. Dar HA’s Hamza was man of match.
The second match was full of excitement as Tahir Zaman Academy defeated Fiaz Hockey Academy, Sargodha 3-2. The Sargodha lads twice came from behind to level the score. However, they failed to equalise the third time. For TZA, Nokhaiz (penalty corner), Azan Abbas and Yasir Nawaz were the goal getters. Fiaz Academy’s goals were scored by Basharat Ali (penalty stroke) and Ammad. Azan Abbas of TZA emerged as man of match.