Winning starts for Railways, Air India, CRPF

Quality hockey was at a discount as the super league round of 16 in the 60th Senior National hockey championship got under way in Jammu on Friday.

Former champions Railways laboured to a solitary goal victory over last year's runners-up Tamil Nadu and Central Reserve Police Force got the better of Karnataka 2-1 in Group A while Air India got the better of Hyderabad 2-1 and Punjab and Sind Bank and Indian Oil Corporation played out a 2-2 draw in Group B.

Anuj Tirkey's 53rd minute goal from a penalty-corner gave Railways full points.

In the other match of the group, J Topno's 54th minute goal enabled CRPF overcome a fighting Karnataka. Tanveer Jamal put the policemen ahead in the 11th minute from a penalty-corner before Mandama could restore parity for Karnataka minutes before the breather.

The Air India - Hyderabad match was a keen contest. A goal in each half by Kishore Kumar saw the airmen come out trumps. I Ramesh reduced the margin for Hyderabad.

In the Punjab and Sind Bank - Indian Oil match, the bankmen held a slight edge but found the Indian Oil defence tough to get past.

Deepak Thakur put IOC into the lead before Anwal Preet Singh could restore parity for the bankmen from a penalty-corner. Much against the run of play IOC again forged ahead through Kamlesh Kumar but Baljit Singh Chandi saved the day for the bankmen with a penalty-corner strike.