Yasodara BV unbeaten hockey champs

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr.

Yasodara Balika Vidyalaya put up a magnificent display to become unbeaten champions at the all island schools girls under-13 hockey tournament organised by the Kandy Schools Hockey Association on behalf of the Sri Lanka Schools Hockey Association, when they beat Pushpadana Girls College, Kandy in the gruelling finals played at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy. At half there was no scoring.

After a scoreless first half the stickers from Yasodara changed their strategy and got their act together to breach their opponents defence.

They strengthened their forwards and displayed that attack was the best form of defence. The Pushpadana stickers on the other hand did not sharpen their attack but appeared to fortify their defence in wake of their 2-0 defeat in the hands of Yasodara in a group match two days earlier.

Yasodara Vidyalaya opened scoring in the 8th minute of play through centre forward Prathana Upeksha. Three minutes later left extreme Hansiko Upendu put the issue beyond doubt when she drove in a snorter to sound the boards. Ms Manisha Perera and S. Sathis Kumar umpired.

Yasodara Balika Vidyalaya was the only unbeaten team in the tournament though they had a close call in the quarters when they edged out Christ Church College Matale 1-0 in a hotly contested match.

Pushpadana Girls College who lost only two matches in the entire tournament created one of the biggest upsets when they scored a comfortable 3-1 win over the defending champions Visakha Vidyalaya in the quarter finals. Presidents Balika Vidyalaya, Nawala another school which took to hockey recently clinched the third place defeating St. Anthony's College 3-0 in the consolation finals.

Semi-finals

Pushpadana Girls College beat Presidents BV 3-0 and Yasodara Vidyalaya defeated St. Anthony's Girls College, Kandy 1-0 on penalty strokes.

Quarter finals

Pushpadana College beat Visakha Vidyalaya 3-1, Janadhipathi BV Nawala beat Seetha Devi BV 1-0, Yasodara Vidyalaya beat Christ Church College 1-0, St. Anthony's Girls College, Kandy beat Museaus College 1-0.

Anton Perera a former national hockey player and cricketer from St. Anthony's College was the chief guest.