Hosts Maharashtra registered a resounding 18-0 win over Mizoram with skipper Taleb Shah scoring eight goals in the 11th Hockey India Senior Men's National Championship here on Sunday.
Taleb's effort made him the top-scorer of the tournament and powered Maharashtra to the top of Pool H. In the same group, Bihar put aside the challenge of Chhattisgarh 4-2. In the last match of the day, Maharashtra began dominating and Darshan Gawkar (2nd minute) opened the scoring. Thereafter, missed chances frustrated the home crowd, before Ajit Shinde (14th) made it 2-0.
Taleb thereafter took over with field goals in the 20th, 29th, 34th, 37th, 42nd, 47th, 51st and 59th minutes. Adding to the tally were Venkatesh Kenche (23rd, 23rd), Mohd. Nizzamuddin (28th, 36th) and Pratap Shinde (53rd, 59th, 60th, 60th).
Bihar rode on goals from Subash Sanga (4th, 25th), Samuel Topno (7th) and Mukesh Lakra (12th) to down Chhattisgarh 4-2. The day once again logged 74 goals in seven matches, with Telangana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra getting into double-digit scores.
The day began with two back-to-back Group F matches. Odisha had it easy with a rout of Gujarat 8-0 with Sushil Dhanwar (17th, 26th, 36th) leading from the front.
Bengal beat Goa 8-0. The highlight of the victory was the brilliant 5-goal effort by Raushan Kumar (2nd, 4th, 53rd, 54th, 59th).
Uttar Pradesh posted a 9-0 victory over Kerala after Mohammad Amir Khan (6th, 24th), Ajay Yadav (37th, 46th) and Faraz Mohd. (48th, 52nd) netted a brace each. The other contributors were Mohd. Saif Khan (10th), Deepak Patel (22nd), and Mohd. Sadiq (50th).
Jharkhand produced a clinical 11-0 win over Assam Hockey. The encounter also witnessed the 100th goal of the tournament when Sandeep netted Jharkhand’s opening goal. In another match, Telangana breezed past Himachal Pradesh 13-1, riding on a 4-goal effort by Surya Prakash Potluri (24th, 26th, 31st, 57th).
