Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Mar 10: The knockout stages of 73rd All India Railway hockey championships got off to a flying start here at Kalinga Stadium here Tuesday with Western Railway thrashing Eastern Railway 7-3. In the three other last eight stage matches played on the day Railway Coach Factory defeated West Central Railway 8-5, Central Railway scraped past Northern Railway 1-0 while hosts East Coast Railway went down 2-3 against South Central Railway.
In the semifinals to be played Wednesday, Western Railway will meet Central Railway while Railway Coach Factory will take on South Central Railway.
Earlier, the tournament was inaugurated by East Coast Railway GM Rajiv Vishnoi. To enable the sports loving people of Orissa to witness a number of national and international hockey players, this is the first time such an event is being organised here. More than 200 players from across the country are participating in the tournament.
In the East Coast Railway-South Central Railway game Deepak Lugun and Dilip Kerketta scored for the hosts. However, their efforts went to waste as South Central emerged victorious.