Deepak Sharma posts hattrick for BPCL

Pune, Mar 27 (UNI) Defending champions Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) posted an impressive 3-1 win over Chennai Petroleum Corporatiion Limited (CPCL) today as their forward Deepak Sharma recorded the first ''hattrick'' of the 25th Petroleum Sports Promotion Boards (PSPB) hockey championship at the Pimpri-Chinchwad Muncipal Corporation (PCMC) poligrass stadium in Nehrunagar, Pimpri near here.

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) hosted championship witnessed goals galore on the opening day with a record of 25 goals.

Enjoying the whip hand BPCL's Sharma drew the first blood in the 15th minute and later added two more in the 35th and 45th minutes and in the process completed the hattrick. CPCL who came into their own, however, reduced the margin via K K Mani.

Earlier, last year's runner-up IOC won both the pool league ties.

They outplayed IPCL 6-0 and later steam-rolled past Engineers India Limited (EIL) 8-0 in hopelessly one sided matches.

The last pool league tie of the day saw Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) crushed EIL 7-0. Mandip Singh Antil and Jagwat Singh posted a brace each, while Sandip Antil, Pravin Singh and Pramod Kumar chipped in with a goal reach to complete the winners tally.

UNI