Indian Oil, Railways Secure Semifinal Berths in MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Indian Railways, the defending champions, have secured their places in the semifinals of the 95th MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup All-India hockey tournament.
IOC, despite fielding a weakened team due to viral fever affecting four key players, managed to draw 5-5 with NCOE, Bhopal in a Pool-B contest. The former champion remains the leader in its group.
Meanwhile, Indian Railways displayed their dominance in Pool-A, thrashing Tamil Nadu 5-0. The defending champion will face Odisha in the semifinals, while IOC will take on Army.
IOC’s Draw with NCOE
IOC’s decision to rest its key players was evident in their performance on the field. The team struggled to maintain possession and create scoring opportunities. NCOE took advantage of this and scored through Sadiq Mohd., Pawan Kumar Jaat (2), Faraz Md., and Parmod.
However, IOC showed resilience and managed to equalize each time. Roshan Minz, Affan Yousuf, Talwinder Singh, Sumit Kumar, and Manpreet scored for the former champion.
Railways’ Dominant Victory
In contrast to IOC’s struggles, Indian Railways played with authority against Tamil Nadu. Pardeep Singh and Aditya Singh scored early goals to give Railways a comfortable lead. Shivam Anan, Affan Yousuf, and Pardeep Singh added to the tally in the second half.
Tamil Nadu failed to create any significant chances and was unable to penetrate Railways’ defense.
Semifinal Matchups
The semifinals will be held on Saturday, September 28. Indian Railways will face Odisha, while IOC will take on Army. The winners of these matches will advance to the final on Sunday, September 29.
