Abung helped Manipur to win the XI Sub Junior National Hockey Championship with a last-minute goal. In the finals Manipur beat Punjab 3-2 at the Khuman Lampak Hockey Stadium. Hosts Manipur, a losing semi finalist in the last edition of the championship at Bangalore were under pressure right from the start with penalty corner specialist and left wing defender L Bikramjit missing as he had to undergo an emergency appendicitis operation. As a result, Manipur could not convert any of the seven penalty corner shots that came its way during the final match. The host team also committed many blunders as well as avoidable fouls right from the start of play. O Boniyam was expelled for five minutes in the 9th minute of play for his dangerous foul on a Punjab striker. Taking advantage of disharmony within the Manipur team, Punjab took the lead in the 12th minute through a penalty corner. But during the second half, Manipur team regained supremacy. Tireless Manjeev tried several times to penetrate the Punjab defence. Finally in the 48th minute, Manjeev’s efforts paid off. He collected a short pass from Herojit and drove home for the equaliser. After conceding the goal, Punjab boys began to show signs of tiredness and Manipur took full advantage of opponent’s weakness.

Manipur took the lead, when collecting a long scoop from skipper Suresh; substitute Y Joychandra beat defender Jagjit Singh and goalkeeper Gurnam. But Punjab equalised soon through a penalty corner. Punjab’s highest scorer Ramender Singh once again proved his mettle and converted the pentalty corner. With the clinching of the title for the first time, the chances of players from the winning state team being selected for the forthcoming Sub Junior Hockey World Cup scheduled later this year at Holland are high. In another match for the third position this morning, Uttar Pradesh beat Himachal Pradesh by seven goals to nil. Abung was adjudged man of the tournament. Governor SS Sidhu gave away the champions trophy to the winning team.

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