Six outstation players turn out in Goa colours including the captain IE Palangappa
Panaji
Two penalty strokes and one penalty corner helped Hockey Jharkhand to trounce Goans Hockey 3-1 in the Hockey India senior men championship in Chennai on Wednesday.
The Goans Hockey took the field with IE Palangappa leading the team which had 6 outstation players, including himself, who had previously played for Karnataka, Haryana and Services and hail from other states.
Only Palangappa had the experience of playing at the senior men’s championship while five of the six outstation players made their debut at the senior men championship having earlier turned out for the junior teams of different states, and academies.
The captain Palangappa himself has been playing in the senior men championship since 2018 and has turned out for Hockey Coorg, Hockey Karnataka and Services Sports Control Board in the previous editions before pulling the Goa colours this year.
Goa played a very good game. The Goan team fought mightily against the best team Hockey Jharkhand. Congratulations to our boys,” said Goans Hockey Secretary Farrrel Furtado e Gracias.
She said the Goa team had four outstation players and two players from the Navy.
“We played with only 4 outside players and two navy players from Goa. Our good players had exams and some of them were working. We had to adjust and send the team,” she said.
She again justified the need to import hockey players from other states.
“All states import 4 players. So, what is the big deal?” she said on a parting note.
The captain did justice by scoring the only goal of the match in the 50th minute through a penalty corner conversion.
The second player to make debut under Goa colours was Bhavin Kushalappa K. R, who had previously played for Karnataka Hockey in the junior championship and thus made his debut at the senior men level this year by representing Goa
Vasu Dev, played earlier for Haryana at the Hockey India Junior Men National Championship in 2022 and made his debut at the senior men championship in 2024 representing Goa
Mayank Kaushik (GK), played earlier for Punjab National Bank at Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2019 (B Division) and for Salute Hockey Academy of Delhi in the 1st Hockey India Junior Men Academy National Championship 2021 and also made his debut at the senior men championship this year representing Goa.
Tripathi Gaurav, the fifth outstation player, made his debut at the senior men championship this year in the Goa colours while Rahul from Delhi also earned their first senior cap at the national senior men championship this year in Goa colours.
Hockey Jharkhand took the lead in the 35th minute through Simon Bodra of a penalty stroke while
Dilbar Barla, scored a field goal in the 44th minute. Thereafter, Palangappa made it 2-1.
Hockey Jharkhand made it 3-1 with Simon Bodra scoring his second goal of the match through a penalty Stroke.
The scoreline is a far cry when Goans Hockey used to lose by huge double margin in the previous championship across all championships from men seniors to juniors and sub juniors and also in the women categories of junior, seniors and sub juniors. Goans hockey teams have conceded over 100 goals in all championships over the last two years.
