DAY 9: GST Roar Back, Sports Hostel Dominate in Rela Hospital - Tamil Hockey League
- Dr Prakash Ayyadurai
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
Tamil Hockey League 2026 | Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Chennai | 18 August 2026
Day 9 of Tamil Hockey League belonged to comebacks and to youth. SM Nagar led GST & Central Excise at half-time before GST completely changed the match after the break to win 5–1.
Then Sports Hostel of Excellence did something even more significant. Against an experienced Southern Railway side, the youngsters took control after half-time and walked away 4–1 winners.
Nine points from three matches. Ten goals scored. Just two conceded.
Sports Hostel are beginning to make Pool A their own.
GST & CENTRAL EXCISE 5–1 S M NAGAR
For two quarters, this looked nothing like a 5–1 match.
SM Nagar were excellent early on. They enjoyed more possession, competed strongly and took a deserved 1–0 lead in the second quarter. GST simply could not find their rhythm. Then came the third quarter.
GST suddenly found their game and scored three times to turn 0–1 into 3–1. Their experience began to show and the momentum of the contest shifted completely.
SM Nagar continued to fight in the fourth quarter. There were attacks and counter-attacks, penalty corners at both ends and some important saves from the SM Nagar goalkeeper. But GST had taken control. A penalty stroke and a late field goal from Naveen Kumar completed the 5–1 victory.
The scoreline was comfortable. The match wasn't.
Star of the Match: P. Dillibabu (No.10 — SM Nagar), awarded by Mr S. Vinoth Kumar, former Tamil Nadu, ICF and Southern Railway player.
SPORTS HOSTEL OF EXCELLENCE 4–1 SOUTHERN RAILWAY
This was the performance of the day.
Southern Railway brought experience. Sports Hostel brought youth, energy and absolutely no fear. The opening half was a genuine see-saw battle, with Railway finding their equaliser in the second quarter. But the third and fourth quarters belonged to Sports Hostel.
Their passing became sharper. They were willing to play through the lines, receive long and aerial balls and keep attacking rather than protect the result.
And S. Krishnan took centre stage.
His hat-trick powered Sports Hostel to a 4–1 victory and, more importantly, showed what this young side is capable of against experienced opposition.
Three matches. Three wins.
Sports Hostel are no longer simply the young team in Pool A.
They are the team everyone else is chasing.
Star of the Match: S. Krishnan (No.33 — SHE), awarded by senior player Mr S. Babu of SM Nagar Hockey.
POOL A — NOW IT GETS INTERESTING
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
1 | SHE | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 9 |
2 | ITX | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 11 | +5 | 6 |
3 | SR | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 6 |
4 | GST | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 6 |
5 | IB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
6 | SMN | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 23 | −19 | 0 |
The important number is six.
Income Tax, Southern Railway and GST are all sitting on six points. Sports Hostel have moved three clear and have done it with a perfect record.
But there is one rather unusual line in that table.
Indian Bank: Played 0.
The defending champions have not even begun yet.
POOL B — FIRST MEETS SECOND
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
1 | IOB | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 7 |
2 | ICF | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 6 |
3 | AGS | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 6 |
4 | PTM | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
5 | FCI | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 1 |
6 | DHV | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 0 |
IOB lead Pool B.
ICF are one point behind with a match in hand.
Both are unbeaten.
And tomorrow they play each other.
THREE HAT-TRICKS. ONE FOUR-GOAL SHOW.
Seventeen matches into THL 2026 and the individual performances are beginning to pile up. Dilraj Singh scored the tournament's first hat-trick for Indian Overseas Bank against AGORC. Deonath Nanwar followed with three for GST against Income Tax. Nambi Ganesan then went one better — four goals in Income Tax's 8–2 victory over SM Nagar.
Today, S. Krishnan joined the hat-trick club with his three against Southern Railway. That makes three hat-tricks and one four-goal performance in 17 matches.
GOLDEN STICK — FIVE GOALS IS THE NUMBER
Pos | Player | Team | Goals | FG | PC | PS |
1 | Harjeet Singh | SRL | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
2 | Nambi Ganesan | ITX | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
3 | Dilraj Singh | IOB | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
4 | Veerathamizhan | AGS | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
5 | Deonath Nanwar | GST | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
6 | S. Krishnan | SHE | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
7 | M. Hariharan | ITX | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
8 | Chiran Medappa | AGS | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
9 | Patras Hassa | GST | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
10 | Thrisul Ganapathy | AGS | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
But the top five does not tell the entire story.
S. Krishnan is now also on four.
One goal separates six players.
The Golden Stick race is wide open.
101 GOALS AND COUNTING
Seventeen matches have now produced 106 goals.
That is 5.9 goals per match.
Only one of the 17 matches has ended in a draw.
Sports Hostel have conceded only twice in three matches. Indian Overseas Bank have also conceded only twice in three.
At one end of the table, goals are deciding matches.
At the other, defence is beginning to decide who controls the pools.
TOMORROW - POOL B TAKES OVER
2:30 PM
Pattabiram Strikers vs Food Corporation of India
Pattabiram have three points from two matches. FCI have one from two.
There is still plenty of room in Pool B, but this is the stage of the league where opportunities cannot keep being postponed.
4:00 PM
Integral Coach Factory vs Indian Overseas Bank
This is the match.
First against second.
IOB: seven points from three.
ICF: six points from two.
Neither has lost.
Tomorrow we find out a little more about who really controls Pool B.
Seventeen matches are gone. The tables are tightening, the Golden Stick race is crowded and the young guns have announced themselves.
The league is beginning to get serious.
Compilation and Commentary:
S.M.Hamesh Kumar
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Stadium entry is free for all. Tamil Hockey League 2026 — All for Hockey, Hockey for All. Presented by Rela Hospital · Live broadcast by i1 Sports · Organised by Hockey Tiruvallur.
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