Bens, Pushpadana Girls hockey champs

S M Jiffrey Abdeen Reporting from Matale

St Benedict’s College, Kotahena (boys) and Pushpadana Girls College, Kandy won the National School Games Hockey Championship for 2010 in the championship organized by the Education Ministry and worked off at the Nandamithra Ekanayake International Hockey Stadium at Matale yesterday.

In the finals for the championship for boys St Benedict’s College, Kotahena staved off a bitter challenge by Nalanda College, Colombo to emerge victors 1-0.

For Nalanda College it was a game of missed opportunities as they missed as many as six chances due to poor finish and also the good foiling work done by the Benedictines.

St Benedict’s College scored their winning goal mid way in the first half when a penalty corner taken by flanker Susendra Jayantha was scooped by centre half and skipper Shehan Samaratunga.

The second half saw very constructive hockey with the Nalandians striving hard to equalize while the Bens defended their thin lead.

Duminda Fernando and S N Jayasinghe umpired.

Royal College clinched the third place when they trounced Zahira College, Matale 7-1 after leading 3-1 at the breather.

Earlier, in the semi-finals Nalanda College beat Zahira College, Matale 4-0 (goal scorers Sajith Ishara 2 and Chinthaka Akila 2).

In the second semi-final St Benedict’s College squeezed through to a 2-1 win over Royal College, Colombo.

Girls championship

Pushpadana Girls College, Kandy retained the championship for girls for the second successive by defeating their home rivals Seetha Devi Balika Vidyalaya by 2 goals to nil.

This was Pushpadana Girls College’s third major hockey title for the year having won the Kandy District Schools championship and the Central Province Championship last week. After a barren first half the Pushpadana stickers changed their game plan after the turn around to score two goals to put the issue beyond doubt.

The first was centre forward Chathurika Ekanayake who sounded the boards. Soon afterwards centre half Jeewanthi Kusal Jayaratne sounded the boards.

Ajith Manjula and D R B Dissanayake umpired.

Visakha Vidyalaya won the third place when they beat Yasodara Vidyalaya 2-0.

In the semi-finals Pushpadana Girls College beat Visakha Vidyalaya 1-0 and Seetha Devi Balika Vidyalaya beat Yasodara Vidyalaya 1-0.

While Pushpadana Girls College retained the title for girls for the second successive year St Benedict’s College won the title for boys after a very long lapse.

Additional Matale Zonal Director of Education M Jayaprakash and Nalanda College Principal Ranjith Wijesundera distributed the awards.