Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) edged out arch-rivals Sundargarh 5-4 in the repeat final to retain the trophy in the Nalco Cup State Hockey Championship, which concluded at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack tonight. The floodlit final, which witnessed exciting hockey, was decided through golden goal after play in the regulation time ended in 4-4 draw.
Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash of Odisha High Court handed over the trophy at the closing ceremony. Odisha Olympic Association secretary Asirbad Behera, Hockey India Umpires` Committee chairman Shakeel Ahmed Qureshi and Hockey Odisha secretary Pratap Satpathy were present on the occasion.
The six-day tournament, featuring 18 teams, including three new entrants, was earlier inaugurated by Odisha State Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice R K Patra in the presence of Odisha Olympic Association secretary Asirbad Behera and Hockey Odisha secretary Pratap Satpathy.
Other 16 teams in the fray include defending champions Rourkela Steel Plant, last year`s runners-up Sundargarh, Odisha Police, Nalco, Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Phulbani, Bolangir, Deogarh, Mayurbhanj, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Angul and new entrants East Coast Railway, Bargarh).
RESULTS:
MAY 2:
Match No 1: Cuttack (Amit Chirmako 2, Sanjit Ekka, Theophil Kujur, Prem Sanjay Ekka) beat CRPF (S K Jadav) 5-2.
MAY 3:
Match No 2: Nalco (M Tirkey 2) beat Jagatsinghpur (N Lakra) 2-1.
Match No 3: Angul (A Lakra, M Toppo, A Kujur, Sanjay Tudu) beat Bolangir 4-0.
Match No 4: East Coast Railway (A Ekka 2, O Kerketta, L Bilung, BP Kujur and Wilson Minz) beat Deogarh 6-0.
Match No5: Ganjam (Alok Barla 3, Binay Behera 2, A Mohan Rao, D Tirkey, S S Kiro) beat Khurda 8-0.
MAY 4:
Match No 6: Nalco (L Lakra 3) beat Phulbani 8-0.
Match No 7: Mayurbhanj (Abhaya Samantaray, Biswa Ranjan Sadangi, Aijub Ekka, Tapas Das) beat Bargarh 5-3.
Match No 8: Jagatsinghpur (Ajay Ekka 2, S Panna, B Ekka) beat Sambalpur (M Barla, P Kerketta) 4-2.
Match No 9: Bolangir (S Jojo 3, A Kullu 3, S Toppo, P R Pasayat) beat Dhenkanal 8-0.
Match No 10: Angul (Sanjay Tudu, Janma Majhi, Amardeep Dungdung) beat Odisha Police (Walter Kullu 2) 3-2.
MAY 5 (Quarterfinals):
Match No 11: Ganjam (Prakash Barla 2, Sukesh Lakra, S S Kiro) beat East Coast Railway (Amardeep Ekka, Wilson Minz) 4-2.
Match No 12: Sundargarh (Aman Miras Tirkey 2, Bikash Kujur) beat Angul 3-0.
Match No 13: Rourkela Steel Plant (Ranjan Lakra, Santosh Barla, Rajin Kandulna, Deepak Kulu, Prasant Surin) beat Nalco 5-0.
Match No 14: Cuttack (Sanjib Ekka 2) beat Mayurbhanj (Deepak Kumar) 3-1.
MAY 6 (Semifinals):
Match No 15: Rourkela Steel Plant (Rajin Kandulna 3, Ranjan Lakra, Ajay Kandulna, Arvin Kujur 1 each) beat Cuttack (Neelam Xess)8-3.
Match No 16: Sundargarh (James Munda 2, Deepak Lugun) beat Ganjam (P Barla, Bikash Kujur) 3-2.
MAY 7 (Final):
Match No 17: Rourkela Steel Plant (Rajen Kandulana 2, Deepak Lugun 2, Dilip Toppo) beat Sundargarh (Joseph Toppo 2, Deepak Lugun, Aman Miraz Tirkey) 5-4.
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PHOTO: Players of Rourkela Steel Plant pose with the Nalco Cup in Cuttack on May 7, 2012.