Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament
Pakistan down India, clinch fifth place

CHENNAI (India)—Pakistan relegated India from the elite six-nation Champions Trophy with a 4-3 win on Sunday. Pakistan, trailing 0-2 in the play-off for 5-6 places, scored on either side of the interval to draw level and then pumped in two more goals to seal a splendid victory.
India, who had defeated Pakistan 3-2 in the preliminary league last week, narrowed the margin through captain Gagan Ajit Singh five minutes from the end, but failed to get the equaliser.
India, beaten by Pakistan in a Champions Trophy play-off for the fourth consecutive year, will not feature in next year’s tournament in Spain.
The match was played on a synthetic turf drenched by incessant rain since early Sunday morning.
India took the lead with their first penalty corner in the second minute when Kanwalpreet Singh scooped past Pakistan’s reserve goal-keeper Nasir Ahmed, who was fielded ahead of Salman Akbar.
Nasir let in a second goal in the 14th minute when Prabhjot Singh deflected in a pass from the right and Pakistan suddenly found the game slipping away from them.
Pakistan earned three penalty corners towards the end of the first half and Muhammad Imran converted the first one to give his team a new lease of life.
Pakistan attacked early in the second half and were rewarded with the equaliser when Akhtar Ali, taking a back pass from Shakeel Abbasi, beat goalkeeper Bharat Chetri from the top of the circle.
India’s desperation to stop repeated rival attacks resulted in Pakistan’s third goal in the 48th minute when Kanwalpreet fouled Rehan Butt inside the circle and Muhammad Saqlain easily converted the penalty stroke.
Butt himself scored eight minutes before the final whistle to make it 4-2, a scoreline that was beyond India’s reach despite Gagan Ajit’s late goal.
Australia and the Netherlands will contest the final and Spain will take on Germany for the bronze medal later on Sunday.—APP