ONGC beat IOC to enter Aga Khan final
Mumbai   21-May-2011

Riding on the brilliance of Akashdeep Singh, who netted a hat-trick, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Delhi tamed IndianOil 5-2 to sail into the final of the Aga Khan hockey tournament.

Drag-flicker Diwakar Ram, who converted a penalty stroke and Bikash Toppo scored the other two goals for the Delhi side in the first semi-final at the Bombay Gymkhana ground. IOC got their goals, through second half efforts from Olympian Prabhjot Singh and Roshan Minz.

Playing like a well-gelled unit, ONGC took control of the proceedings from the outset and hardly allowed their opponents much opportunity to get back into the match.

ONGC went ahead in the very sixth minute when Akashdeep Singh scored with a reverse hit the first of his three goals. Diwarkar doubled the lead when he converted a penalty stroke in the 35th minute. IOC showed glimpses of a fight back and managed to reduce the margin through Prabhjot's angular hit in the 43rd minute.

In the final, ONGC will take on the winners of the second semi-final between BPCL and South Central Railway.