Sports News | SAI B Quells Him Academy Challenge; Deepika Scores Second Hat-trick

New Delhi [India], December 16(ANI): Sports Authority of India B beat back a stiff challenge by Him Hockey Academy (Vikas Nahar, Himachal Pradesh) 3-2 to secure its first win in Group A in the inaugural Khelo India U21 Women's Hockey League (Phase 1) at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here in New Delhi.

In earlier matches, Deepika scored her second-trick in as many days as the India Juniors team posted its second straight win with an 8-1 verdict against Raja Karan Hockey Academy (Karnal) while Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High-Performance Centre (Bhubaneswar) outplayed Mumbai Schools Sports Association 11-0 to keep its slate clean.

Also Read | Avani Lekhara Wins Best Female Debut Award at 2021 Paralympic Sports Awards.

Sports Authority of India B showed resilience after Wednesday's 0-6 defeat by India Juniors and quickly found cohesion and rhythm despite being a squad that has players from across the country and trained together for less than a week. But eager to showcase their talent, each of the players put the best foot forward.

Reema Baxla, an India Junior probable from Jharkhand in 2019, scored off a penalty corner to give SAI B the lead in the second minute. Him Academy exerted pressure on the SAI B defence but could not break through. Against the run of play, Mary Lotla, tracing her roots to Yellamchiili near Visakhapatnam, struck with a field goal just ahead of the half-time.

Also Read | Ayushmann Khurrana: Would Love to Play Neeraj Chopra in a Biopic if It's Made in the Near Future.

Taranpreet Kaur scored four minutes into the second half to raise visions of a keen battle but Vinamrata Yadav, Uttar Pradesh junior captain in 2018, managed to loop a reverse hit from the top of the circle over the goal-keeper to put SAI B 3-1 ahead. Taranpreet Kaur scored off a penalty corner early in the fourth quarter but could not stop SAI B from earning full points.

Sadhna Sengar scored three times in Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy's 8-0 victory over Jai Bharat Hockey Academy (Delhi) in a Group B match that showcased the Bhopal team's superior fitness and staying power. A day earlier, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy rallied through a late goal by Neeraj Rana to split points with Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy (Sonipat). The Bhopal team led through Sadhna Sengar's goal at half-time, conceded two through Disha and Tamanna in the third quarter but earned a draw with two minutes left. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)