Maharashtra teams settle for bronze medals

Pune: Maharashtra men’s and women’s team delivered good performances to clinch bronze medals in the Hockey India 5-a-side Senior National Championship in Bengaluru on Monday.

Men’s team held their nerves to beat Odisha while women’s team got the better of Punjab 4-1.

Odisha started on an attacking note and took the lead inside the opening five minutes, but Maharashtra scored four goals in ten minutes to stamp their authority on the match and eventually prevail as the victors. 

Goals for Maharashtra were scored by Sayyad Niyaz Rahim (2nd, 17th), skipper Tyron Pereira (8th, 10th) and Ulsan Mundu (8th).

In the women’s match, Maharashtra scored twice in the opening seven minutes to take a two-goal lead but Punjab pulled one back in the 10th minute. 

However, two more goals in the second period saw Maharastra securing the victory as Aishwarya Chavan (6th, 7th) and Preeti Dubey (14th, 15th) scored braces. Punjab’s skipper Reena Rani (10th) scored her team’s only goal.