/>

Murugappa Gold Cup: IOC triumphs over Army, faces Railways in final

In the other semifinal, defending champion Indian Railways outplayed Odisha 4-0, courtesy of a hat-trick by Joginder Singh, to advance to the final.

Published : Sep 28, 2024 21:00 IST , Chennai - 2 MINS READ

Joginder Singh of Railways scores a goal against Odisha during the 95th All India MCC Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament semifinals.
Joginder Singh of Railways scores a goal against Odisha during the 95th All India MCC Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament semifinals. | Photo Credit: VEDHAN M
infoIcon

Joginder Singh of Railways scores a goal against Odisha during the 95th All India MCC Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament semifinals. | Photo Credit: VEDHAN M

Former champion Indian Oil Corporation is well-versed in managing high-pressure situations. Facing an Army side, playing, probably at its best, IOC showcased its class by securing a 3-2 win in the semifinals of the 95th MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup All-India hockey tournament here on Saturday.

In the other semifinal, defending champion Indian Railways outplayed Odisha 4-0, courtesy of a hat-trick by Joginder Singh, to advance to the final.

READ | ‘Needs a lot of sacrifice’ - Two-time Olympian V. R. Raghunath on the art of drag-flicking

The match between the IOC and the Army drew significant attention. After a back-and-forth struggle that saw no goals scored in the first two quarters, IOC struck unexpectedly in the third. Aarman Qureshi netted the first goal with a sliding push off a pass from Gujinder Singh. IOC, then doubled its lead at the start of the fourth quarter when Sumit Kumar converted a rebound from a penalty corner.

At that point, things looked challenging for the Army. However, Cyril Lugun’s goal from a penalty stroke provided the much-needed boost. During this period, the Army was relentless, attacking IOC from both flanks and earning three penalty corners. Unfortunately, it was unable to convert any of those opportunities.

IOC managed to score its third goal through another stroke by Gujinder, which did not dampen the Army’s spirit. They earned three back-to-back penalty corners, with the last one resulting in a stroke. Cyril’s successful conversion brought renewed energy to the Army camp. In the final two minutes, the Army gave it its all, but the IOC was resolute and refused to relent.

The results (Semifinals):

Railways 4 (Joginder Singh 1, 38 & 43, Yuvraj Walmiki 16) bt Odisha 0.

IOC 3 (Aarman Qureshi 36, Sumit Kumar 46, Gujinder Singh 55) bt Indian Army 2 (Cyril Lugun 2).

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment