Air Force and Navy hockey champions

S M Jiffrey ABDEEN, Kandy Sports Correspondent reporting from Matale

Sri Lanka Air Force (men) and Sri Lanka Navy (women) emerged champions at the ninth all-island inter-club hockey tournament organized by the Past Pupils of Vijaya College and worked off at the Nandimithra Ekanayake International Hockey Stadium astro turf, Matale yesterday.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Matale District Parliamentarian Rohana Dissanayake was the chief guest and he distributed the main awards.

The winner of the men’s championship received a cash award of Rs 50,000 and the handsome Vijayans Trophy. The runners-up received a cash of Rs 25,000 and a trophy.

The winner of the Women’s Championship received cash of Rs 25,000 and a trophy. The runners-up Rs 15,000 and a trophy.

Men’s Championship

Sri Lanka Air Force retained the Men’s Championship for another year when they recorded a thrilling 2-1 win over a fighting Sri Lanka Navy outfit in the finals.

At half time Air Force led 2-0.

The Airmen had the better of the exchanges in the initial half and it appeared that they would record an easy win.

Air Force centre forward Mohamed Mulaffer was in sparkling form with the stick. In fact the whole team struck rhythm from the start.

The Airmen got into an early lead when Mohamed Mulaffer sounded the boards through a scorching drive.

In the 22nd minute the Airmen scored again through Mohamed Mulaffer who bemused the Navy defence through some clever stick work to score again.

The Airmen went into the second half with their tails up leading 2-0. But the sailors came back strongly into the game to upset their opponents whilst putting up an impregnable defence, they began torpedoing their opponents’ defence with some play. But their effort came too late.

The sailors were rewarded midway in the second half when they were awarded a penalty corner and centre half A Athuraliya scooped the ball to beat the Air Force custodian.

In the period of play which followed there was no scoring as the defences of both teams held.

Mahes Abeywickrema and Indika Jayawardena umpired.

In the semi-finals Sri Lanka Air Force edged out a gallant Sri Lanka Army team 1-0 in a hotly contested game. In the second semi-final Sri Lanka Navy beat Sri Lanka Police 1-0 in another close game.

Women’s Championship

Brilliant play by the Navy “A” women stickers saw them defeat Old Vijayans Hockey Club, Matale 2-0 in the women’s finals to clinch the championship. At half there was no scoring.

A closely contested game saw no scoring at the end of full time.

During the extra time of play which followed Sri Lanka Navy girls upset the Vijayans by breaching their defence twice during this short period.

First it was centre forward Chathurika Wijesuriya who scored having drawn the defence away.

The shouting of the Navy supporters had hardly died when centre half Madhushika Jayanetti displaying pleasing form almost went on the rampage to score and put the issue beyond doubt.

Last year Navy were joint champions with Seetha Devi SC.

Indrawansa Herath and Mohamed Naushad umpired.

In the semi-finals old Vijayans beat Seetha Devi SC “A” 1-0 and Navy “A” beat Seetha Devi SC “B” 1-0.