KARACHI, 1 April 2005 — Pakistan overcame a 1-2 deficit to edge world junior champions India 3-2 in a bad-tempered encounter in the Six-Nation Junior Invitation Hockey Tournament in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The Pakistanis, who beat India twice in a four-nation event earlier in March, produced two late strikes to claim an important victory that boosted their chances of reaching next Sunday’s final. It was a high-tension clash in which a total of five yellow cards were flashed.
Indian skipper Praboodh Tirkey (58th) and their experienced goalie Adrian D’Souza (68th) and skipper were both sent-off, while Pakistan’s Sajjad Anwar (33rd), Arif Mohamed (62nd) and Yasir Islam (66th) were also showed yellow cards.
Mohammad Arif took Pakistan ahead in the 19th minute but India responded with two quick goals to take a 2-1 advantage at halftime. Sandeep Singh scored off a short corner while Hari Prasad netted the ball from close range after getting an excellent pass from Tirkey.
The turning point of the match came in the 58th minute when Tirkey was sent to the sin bin for a rough tackle. Mohammad Imran converted a short corner in the very next minute to make it 2-2. A scuffle in the 62nd minute between Ardian D’Souza and Pakistani striker Arif proved even more costly for India.
Both players were yellow-carded, reducing India to nine men and Pakistan took advantage with short corner specialist Imran Warsi beating reserve goalkeeper P. R. Sreejesh from a short corner in the next minute to give his side their second successive win. The Pakistanis are now on top of the points’ table followed by Malaysia and India.
Pakistan coach Tahir Zaman praised his players for showing better discipline and taking their goal scoring chances well. South Korea beat England 3-1 to score their first win of the tournament. England scored in the 30th minute through Andy Watts but the Koreans hit back through Hong Seng-kweon (37), Suh Sang-eun (41) and Yeo Chang-yong (63). \ Hosts Malaysia came back from a two-goal deficit twice to pull off a 4-4 draw against Germany.
Meantime, Pakistan hockey has received a set back just weeks before their side take on India in an eagerly awaited three Test series when team manager Samiullah Khan decided to quit from the important post yesterday.
Sami resigned as the national team manager saying that he was unable to work with a panel of coaches that includes officials not “worthy” of such important duty.
“I have sent my resignation to the PHF Secretary Brig (R) Musarratullah Khan, telling him that I would not be able to continue as national team manager,” the former Olympian told this correspondent here.
Sami replaced Col (retd.) Mirza Yousuf Baig as manager after Pakistan finished a disappointing fifth place in last summer’s Olympic Games in Athens.
He was not too happy when PHF appointed national junior team coach Asif Bajwa and Rana Mujahid as coach and assistant coach of the senior team respectively after last December’s Champions Trophy.
