Bens and Pushpadana - Under 19 hockey champions

Sanjaya Ariyaratne

St. Benedict's College, Kotahena and Pushpadana Girls College, Kandy clinched the under 19 boys and girls Cup Championship at the Bank of Ceylon Super Sevens Hockey Tournament worked off at the Asgiriya International Stadium, Kandy. Ananda College and Vijaya College, Matale were the boys and girls plate champions respectively.

This tournament was organised by the Seethadevi Balika Vidyalaya, Kandy for the 16th time and sponsored by the Bank of Ceylon saw a total of seventeen teams taking part along with the club event which was also held simultaneously to the above event.

Bens beat Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa 1-0 in the final with the goal coming from Michael Fernando after a scoreless first half. He was also adjudged the best player of the tournament.

Pushpadana girls reversed last year's outcome when they overcame the more fancied defending champions Seethadevi Girls College, Kandy 1-0 on penalty strokes as both teams failed to score during regulation time. The match winning goal came from Ishara. Meanwhile S. A. Samarakoon of Pushpadana was named as the best player in the girls event.

Plate (boys)- Ananda College beat Trinity College 1-0, (girls) Vijaya College beat St. Anthony's Convent, Katugastota 1-0. Bowl (boys)- St. Sylvester's College, Kandy beat Sri Sumangala College, Kandy (1-0 on penalty strokes), (girls) Seethadevi Girl's College, Kandy (White) beat Ladies College, Colombo 1-0.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army and Seethadevi SC retained their men's and women's cup championships respectively in the Open Hockey Tournament. Sri Lanka Army defeated Sri Lanka Police (1-0) while Seethadevi SC outplayed Colombo HC (1-0) in the finals. Plate (men)- Sri Lanka Air Force beat BRC (2-0), (women) Essence SC, Kandy beat University of Colombo (2-0), Bowl- (men) Old Thomians SC, Matale beat Police (B) (1-0), (women) Yasodhara SC, Colombo beat Devians SC, Kandy (1-0 penalty strokes).