Matale Thomians stun Royal in schools hockey nationals

S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN Kandy Sports Corr.

St. Thomas College, Matale scored a stunning 4-0 win over the defending champions Royal College, Colombo on the opening day of the schools Boys and Girls hockey nationals organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Hockey Association and the Matale Schools Hockey Association and worked off at the Bernand Aluwihare Stadium, Matale yesterday. The matches will be resumed today at 9 am. At half time the Matale Thomian led 2-0.

Three teams from Jaffna participated in this championship and one of them Union College will play in the quarter finals by virtue of a bye. The other two schools were Jaffna College and Jaffna Central College.

The results of the matches played yesterday were Nalanda College beat Jaffna College 1-0, Joseph Vaz College beat Mahinda College 2-0, Wesley College beat Jaffna Central College 2-0, St. Sylwesters College beat St. Aloysius College 1-0, Vijaya College beat St. Thomas College, Matara 2-0.

Nalanda College, Wesley College, Union College, Vijaya College, St. Sylvester's College, Joseph Vaz College have qualified to play in the quarter finals.

Championship for Girls

Pushpadana Girls College, Kandy edged out the defending champions Janadhipathi Vidyalaya Nawala over a document issue and qualified to play in the semi finals of the girls schools hockey realion.

It is alleged that Janadhipathi Vidyalaya had produced photocopies of the details of their registered players but had left the originals, behind in Colombo through an over sight and had assumed the organisers that they will produce them in two hours. But was rejected and Pushpadana College awarded a walk over.

The results of some of the matches played yesterday in this segment. Musaeus College beat Uduwil Central College 1-0, Sangamitha Balika Vidyalaya beat Vihara Maha Devi BV Badulla 3-0. Yasodara Vidyalaya beat Southlands College Galle 1-0, Seetha Devi Balika Vidyalaya beat jaffna College 2-0, Sangamitha BV beat yasodara Vidyalaya 3-1 on penalty strokes.