National Games: Karnataka crushes Tamil Nadu in men’s hockey

Tamil Nadu made defensive errors and was punished by Karnataka. It never recovered from the early goal which it conceded in the fourth minute.

REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO | Photo Credit: M. Vedhan

Karnataka crushed Tamil Nadu 5-1 in pool B to serve notice to other teams in a men's league match of the National Games hockey championships at the Dhyanchand hockey stadium on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu, the runner-up of the 2015 Games, never recovered from the early goal which it conceded in the fourth minute. Tamil Nadu made defensive errors and was punished by Karnataka. Tamil Nadu raised hopes of a comeback when it pulled a goal back just before the break. However, Tamil Nadu imploded in the last quarter as Karnataka scored twice in the space of two minutes to pull out a comprehensive win.

Uttar Pradesh defeated Jharkhand 4-1 in another pool B match. Jharkhand fought gamely but failed to convert the chances that came its way. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh managed to score off the opportunities it created. UP scored twice in the last quarter to complete a resounding win.

In pool A, West Bengal bested Gujarat 8-2 while Maharashtra scored a hard fought 3-1 win over Haryana.

The Results:

Men: Karnataka bt Tamil Nadu 5-1; Uttar Pradesh bt Jharkhand 4-1; Maharashtra bt Haryana 3-1; West Bengal bt Gujarat 8-2.