Roundglass Hockey Academy Clinches Sikh Union Nairobi Centenary Trophy

The prestigious tournament, hosted to mark the 100th anniversary of the historic Sikh Union Club, featured a highly competitive lineup of international clubs, as per a release.

Displaying superb performances on astro-turf pitches throughout the tournament in Nairobi, the Roundglass Hockey Academy, coached by Kankala Vishnu and managed by Manish Pandey, showcased exceptional resilience, tactical brilliance, and attacking prowess to reach the finals and ultimately claim the title.

Despite facing an early setback in the group stage with a 1-4 defeat against the host club, Nairobi Sikh Union, the RGHA athletes demonstrated immense character. They quickly found their rhythm and embarked on an unstoppable winning streak, registering comprehensive victories in their remaining group matches. The team overpowered London Sikh Union with a resounding 9-0 win, defeated Satellites 7-1, and outclassed Niger Flickers 8-3 to storm into the knockout rounds.

Carrying their spectacular goal-scoring form into the semi-finals, RGHA secured a commanding 7-2 victory in a rematch against Satellites to book their place in the championship match.

In the grand finale against the hosts, Nairobi Sikh Union, played at the Sikh Union Club, the academy squad delivered a masterful performance to secure a 4-1 victory. The match began with Roundglass conceding a goal in the 1st minute from a penalty corner. However, the side immediately bounced back with a quick brace from Jarman Singh in the 7th and 9th minutes to take the lead. Roundglass then consolidated their position by scoring a couple more in the 34th and 46th minutes through Jobanpreet Singh and Gurwinder Singh, successfully avenging their earlier group-stage defeat and sealing the historic victory.

This international triumph adds to a highly successful season for Roundglass Hockey Academy, which recently saw multiple athletes selected for the Indian U-18 and Senior National coaching camps.

- ANI