On Tuesday, the hockey teams of Vidyashilp Academy and Chinmaya Vidyalaya would learn this the hard way, as St. Joseph's Boys High School clinched the Centenary Shield Hockey Tournament (U-17) and the Fr. Eric Vaz Memorial Hockey Tournament (U-14) in resounding fashion.
Credit: Special Arrangement.
The atmosphere was ear-piercing, the cheers deafening and the chants sung in unison. As soon as you stepped into the Karnataka State Hockey Stadium on Langford Road, you immediately knew that this was a cauldron.
On Tuesday, the hockey teams of Vidyashilp Academy and Chinmaya Vidyalaya would learn this the hard way, as St. Joseph's Boys High School clinched the Centenary Shield Hockey Tournament (U-17) and the Fr. Eric Vaz Memorial Hockey Tournament (U-14) in resounding fashion.
St. Joseph's U-17s immediately set the tone against Vidyashilp Academy in the final. Thanush Thammaiah scored a first-half brace, utilizing his positioning ability perfectly on both occasions. While Vidyashilp began the second half strongly, the solid Josephite back-line marshaled by Rhys James D'cunha and custodian Manith Mandanna withstood Vidyashilp's forays.
The U-14 final was a much more open affair. Adhawan opened the scoring for St. Joseph's in the third minute, preying on a defensive mistake to slot in the opener.
Sachiroop managed to equalize for Chinmaya Vidyalaya, slotting in a piercing through ball. No celebration, just moved on.
Joseph's issued an immediate response, Joel almost scoring off a penalty corner, which was kept out through some last-ditch defending.
Till the first half hooter, Chinmaya looked more likely to score again, banking on quick counter-attacks with Sachiroop, who possesses good close control and a gifted first touch, as the target.
Just two minutes into the second half, Joel made the most out of a miscued clearance to put Joseph's back in front. The spaces which Chinmaya Vidyalaya found in the attacking third dried up, as Joseph's morphed into a much more composed unit defensively and in the midfield.
Chinmaya Vidyalaya were not out of the game by any means, and their players kept believing. They had a couple of big chances to draw level, with Hemanth supplying immaculate delivery from the left, only for the finishing touch to be found lacking.
The tenacity of Joseph's Ayaan Shakeerali was finally rewarded, when he pounced on a poor clearance to put the game beyond Chinmaya Vidyalaya's reach.
The Joseph's midfielders, helmed by Aksharan Varadarajan, had to intercept well, and they did so to prevent the long-pass tactic of their opponents from working.
Hemanth drew a splendid save from 'keeper Alen Ben with a snap-shot reverse-stick, and resorted to that tactic to score from a penalty corner in the dying seconds, but it was too little, too late.
A small distance away, the Fr. Claude D'Souza Memorial Hockey Tournament 2023 (U-12) (5A Side) saw an all-Josephite final, with the 'A' team riding on the impressive Surya Subbaiah to clinch victory.
Results: Centenary Shield Hockey Tournament (U-17): Final: St. Joseph’s Boys High School: 2 (Tanush Thammaiah 10th, 18th) bt Vidyashilp Academy: 0.
U-17 Award Winners
Best goalkeeper: Manith Mandanna (SJBHS)
Best defender: Rhys James Dcunha (SJBHS)
Best midfielder: Naman Daga (Vidyashilp Academy)
Best forward: Angad Pravin (Frank Anthony Public School)
Player of the tournament: Manav Kaverappa (SJBHS)
Fr. Eric Vaz Memorial Hockey Tournament (U-14): St Joseph’s Boys High School: 3 (Adhawan 3rd, Joel Paul 27th, Ayaan Shakeerali 35th) bt Chinmaya Vidyalaya: 2 (Sachiroop 14th, Hemanth G 50th).
U-14 Award Winners
Best goalkeeper: Alen Ben (SJBHS)
Best defender: MD Ghouse (Chinmaya Vidyalaya)
Best midfielder: Aksharan Varadarajan (SJBHS)
Best forward: Ayaan Shakeerali (SJBHS)
Player of the tournament: Hemanth G (Chinmaya Vidyalaya)
Fr. Claude D’Souza Memorial Hockey Tournament (U-12) (5-a-side): St. Joseph’s Boys HS A: 4 (Surya Subbaiah 1st, 5th, Dhanush 7th, Shourya M 3rd) bt St. Joseph’s Boys H.S B: 1 (Joel Nikshepa 18th).
U-12 Award Winners
Player of the Tournament: Surya Subbaiah (SJBHS ‘A’)
Most promising player: Vismay J (Chinmaya Vidyalaya ‘A’).