Kasba clinch title

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Players of Kasba High School of Rajshahi party with the Ecstasy National School Hockey Championship trophy after they beat Armanitola High School of Dhaka in the final at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.Photo: STAR

Kasba High School of Rajshahi emerged champions in the Ecstasy National School Hockey Championship with a hard fought 2-1 win over Armanitola High School of Dhaka in the final at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium yesterday.
After the barren first half, Kasba High School pressed hard to take up three successive penalty corners and converted the last one through Mahbubul Alam to take a lead in the 41st minute. But the joy of the visitors lasted only four minutes before Raihan Uddin pulled one back for the Old Dhaka school through a field goal.
After levelling the margin, Armanitola, a place from where many star players came out to represent the national team, looked more impressive with Raihan and Rakib penetrating the Kasba backline, but they could eventually not split it.
From a counter attack, Kasba sealed the fate of the match in the 61st minute and this time too Mahbub found the back of the net with a fine combination with Rony to lift the title of the school hockey, which took place after six years.
Winning team captain Sagar Hossain was very happy after beating Armanitola.
"We toiled hard in the last month in training and we deserved the title. We all are happy after winning the final," said Sagar, a student of class IX.
Sagar believed they could have won the game in bigger margin had their forwards not missed some good chances.
National player Krishna Kumar guided the boys in the championship and he was also ecstatic after getting success in his first-ever assignment as a coach.
Krishna informed that most of those schoolboys practiced together in Rajshahi under the supervision of Baikali Sangha, a club who have a record of 17 hockey titles in a row in Rajshahi hockey league.
The national forward said Rajshahi is now the biggest player provider in the Dhaka leagues and tournaments, but they don't have facilities of practicing on turf there. He urged the authorities concerned to install a hockey turf in Rajshahi to keep hockey alive.