Maharashtra displayed remarkable resilience and fighting spirit to secure a thrilling 5-4 victory over former champion BPCL in the 95th MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup All-India hockey tournament held in Chennai on Friday, September 20, 2024.
Despite trailing 0-2 and then 1-3, Maharashtra staged a stunning comeback in the third and fourth quarters. Aditya Lalage, a current junior world cupper, and Stephen Swamy each scored a brace, while Mayur Dhanavde added another goal to propel Maharashtra to victory.
BPCL had taken an early lead through Tejas Chavan and Rajinder Singh, but Maharashtra’s Mayur Dhanavde reduced the deficit in the 22nd minute. However, Sunil Somwarpet restored BPCL’s two-goal advantage in the 40th minute.
Undeterred, Maharashtra fought back with determination. Aditya Lalage and Stephen Swamy scored in quick succession in the 45th and 46th minutes to level the match. Lalage then completed his brace in the 51st minute, giving Maharashtra the lead for the first time.
BPCL managed to equalize through Varun Kumar’s stroke in the 53rd minute, but Maharashtra refused to be denied. Stephen Swamy scored his second goal in the 51st minute, securing the victory for his team.
In another match, Odisha registered an easy 4-1 victory over last year’s finalist, Karnataka. Ekka Rahul, Tirkey Rajat Akash, Kangadi Satish, and Chetan Mallappa scored for Odisha and Karnataka, respectively.
National Centre of Excellence (NCOE, Bhopal) also emerged victorious, defeating Central Secretariat 3-2. Rajat Minz, Parmod, and Hassan Basha scored for NCOE and Central Secretariat, respectively.
