Combined Sports Authority of India XI, comprising mostly young players from Delhi, made an impressive start in the 44th Bombay Gold Cup Hockey Tournament by trouncing Jammu and Kashmir Police 5-1 in a first round clash in Mumbai on Sunday.
SAI XI, after being down by a 15th minute goal from Jatinder Singh, fought back immediately to go 2-1 up at half time before slotting in three more in the second half.
Except for the 21st minute equaliser, scored via a penalty stroke by captain Osaf Ur Rehman, their remaining goals were field efforts and were notched by Taaz Khan (28th), Shashi Kant (37th), Rehman (45th), his second goal, and Juzar Singh (69th).
SAI would take on ONGC XI in the second round.
Indian Navy routed Bombay Hockey Association Colts by a similar margin in an all-Mumbai first runnd match while Bombay Customs stroked out North Eastern Railway (Gorakhpur) 4-2 after no goals were scored in regular time and extra time.
In another encounter between two Mumbai outfits, Hockey Bandra, with internatonal Vikram Pillay in its ranks, pipped Maharashtra State Police 2-1.
The goal getters for the winners were Sashi Topno (37th minute penalty corner goal) and Deedar Singh (70th minute penalty corner goal). In between the policemen got their equaliser from Datta Shinde, a field effort.