Indian Oil Corporation stuns Railways in a thriller, wins Inter-Department National Championship

The IOC came back from a two-goal deficit to first draw 4-4 to take the game into shootouts and then stun Railways, goalkeeper Bichu Devi Kharibam denying her seniors in the India team to ensure victory.

Indian Oil Corporation team, winner of the 3rd Hockey India Inter-Department National Championship. | Photo Credit: HOCKEY INDIA

Indian Oil Corporation’s women’s hockey team, formed only last year and playing in its first ever competitive outing, dethroned the reigning champion and undisputed queens of Indian domestic hockey, the Railways Sports Promotion Board, to lift the 3rd Hockey India Inter-Department National Championship at the Shivaji Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday.

With both finalists boasting of the cream of current and former national players, it was a close game. The IOC, low on experience but high on youth, energy and crowd support, came back from a two-goal deficit to first draw 4-4 to take the game into shootouts and then stun Railways, goalkeeper Bichu Devi Kharibam denying her seniors in the India team to ensure victory.

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Started two years ago as a way to keep state and departmental teams apart and bring in more competition and employment avenues, the third edition of the competition was organised by IOC and had almost the entire top brass of the organisation turning up. It saw participation from eight teams including Sports Authority of India, Sashastra Seema Bal, Tamil Nadu Police, Union Bank, UCO Bank Academy and the All India Police Control Board besides the two finalists.

Both Railways and IOC had an unbeaten run to the final before the latter prevailed. SAI finished 3rd with a 3-1 win against SSB in the bronze medal playoff.