Men's hockey championship: Mumbai lifts 63rd Rangaswami Cup

Mumbai lifted the 63rd Rangaswami Cup Senior National Men's Hockey Championship by defeating Haryana 3-2 in a sensational final played at the Aishbagh Stadium here last night.

This is the fourth time that Mumbai won the tournament since its inception in 1928 while Haryana reached the final for the first time.

Earlier, Mumbai had clinched the cup in 1940, 1944, and 1989 by beating Delhi, Gwalior, and Punjab, respectively.

Alden D'Souza of Mumbai was adjudged man-of-the-match for scoring two crucial field goals, one in each half.

The first goal was scored by D'Souza in the 22nd minute to give Mumbai a 1-0 lead. Till the breather, Mumbai led 1-0.

In the second half, Gursev Singh of Mumbai converted a penalty corner and consolidated the lead 2-0, but Haryana reduced the margin to 2-1 through a brilliant field goal by Munish Rana two minutes later.

Later, D'Souza of Mumbai netted the ball for the second time in the 53rd minute and gave his team a 3-1 lead.

But Hansraj of Haryana hit a goal by converting a penalty corner in the 55th minute and minimised the margin to 3-2. After this, Haryana tried their best to equalise the score but could not do so despite getting some good chances.