The Hindu : Sport : Prosaic progression has been a surprise

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Wednesday, Jan 31, 2007
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Prosaic progression has been a surprise

S. Thyagarajan

Chennai leg of PHL enters final stretch today

Chennai: The Premier Hockey League enters the last leg of chapter one on Wednesday. The last five matches, that conclude next Sunday, may provide the pointers towards identifying the champion at Chandigarh. More foreign players, mainly from Australia, are expected to figure in the second phase.

Introspection into what has happened so far at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium from January 4 produces a mixed feeling. Mediocrity has been predominant, notwithstanding some fleeting moments of excitement.

There has been no sense of fulfilment despite witnessing possibly the best available pool of national talent blended with stars from across the border, the Netherlands and Spain. The prosaic progression is a surprise to a genuine enthusiast.

Hope is never extinguished and there is a lingering feeling that the quality will touch the up curve in the remaining contests.

The last two matches, which ended in golden goals by Jugraj and Didar Singh — players who were struggling to make a mark — have revived the spirits to a large extent. They certainly have injected an element of intensity and hope to the sagging morale of the two prominent outfits, Chandigarh Dynamos and Hyderabad Sultans.

Sher-E-Jalandhar leads

Sher-E-Jalandhar leads the table with 11 points from five matches, chased closely by defending champion Bangalore Lions (nine). As every squad is well balanced, it is difficult to pronounce which among the seven teams is strong.

The Jalandhar outfit is reckoned as powerful largely on account of the presence of the enigmatic Gagan Ajit Singh who is still capable of turning the match at any point of time.

Interestingly, it is the splendid work of Baljit Singh Dhillon, supported by another seasoned campaigner, Baljit Singh Saini, that has galvanised Jalandhar into a striking unit. Harpal and Kanwalpreet too have lent a degree of solidity with Imran Khan being prominent in the mid-field.

The initial promise of the Lions has slowly evaporated as the event has progressed. Arjun Halappa and his motley group of National and international stars have the potential to improve and wrest the initiative. Rehan Butt, along with Hari Prasad and Tushar Khandekar, continues to inspire the team.

The experience and expertise of Dilip Tirkey guide the talented Orissa Steelers combination, for whom wing half Prabhodh Tirkey and the Dutch import Steller are proving to be the assets. Lying third on the table, Steelers could certainly make an impact in the remaining matches.

Still an outsider

After some lacklustre shows, Chennai Veerans is still an outsider, with a good chance to move up. The return of the Malaysian icon, Kuhen Shanmuganathan, is bound to enhance the team's strength in the defence and in penalty corners.

Viren Resquinha's Maratha Warriors returns to the field after a fairly long gap. But the team has not acquitted itself with the credit expected of it.

The win against the Lions on the strength of the golden goal by Jugraj should motivate Dynamos to climb the ladder.

The competition is interestingly poised at the halfway mark. How the script will unfold, as the event continues to roll till the finals in the first week of March, is anybody's guess.

The standings (read as team, matches played, points): Sher-E-Jalandhar 5, 11; Bangalore Lions 5, 9; Orissa Steelers 4, 8; Chennai Veerans 4, 6; Hyderabad Sultans 5, 5; Maratha Warriors 4, 5; Chandigarh Dynamos 5, 4.

Wednesday's match: Chennai Veerans v Maratha Warriors.

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