By IANS,
Kolkata : Punjab Police and Punjab and Sind Bank finished joint winners with a 2-2 draw in the final of the 113th All India Beighton Cup hockey tournament marred by frayed on-field tempers here Friday.
After the rivals remained deadlocked 2-2 at the end of regulation time and extra time, the match officials decided to declare the two teams joint winners saying the light was insufficient to go for the tie-breaker.
Earlier the bankmen opened up a 2-0 lead in the first session, before Punjab Police drew level in the later session at the Sports Authority of India ground.
PSB went ahead at the half hour mark as Ranjodh Singh scored a field strike. They doubled the lead a minute later when Rajwinder Singh found the target.
Trailing 0-2 at the break, Punjab Police came back strongly in the second half, scoring in the 45th and 48th minutes. Amit Singh and Jagvir Singh got the field goals.
With none of the teams managing to score any more, the game rolled into the extra time.
There were ugly scenes in the dying minutes as a hit taken by a PSB forward entered the goal and umpire Parinder Singh blew for a goal. Claiming that the hit was taken from outside the striking circle, the Punjab Police players surrounded the umpire and heckled him. Cornered, Parinder consulted the other umpire H.S. Sokhi and reversed his decision, instead giving a free hit to Punjab Police.
PSB players who were rejoicing, thinking the match was over, then protested and refused to come out to play. However, following repeated requests from Bengal Hockey Association officials, they relented after five minutes and agreed to play the remaining seconds.
This is PSB’s fifth triumph in the tournament, while the Punjab Policemen have lifted the Cup on four occasions so far.