Hockey India League: Tigers burn bright in opener as defending champs beat Soorma 3-1

CHENNAI: Defending champions Bengal Tigers set the tone for their men’s Hockey India League (HIL) campaign with a 3-1 win over Soorma HC at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Sunday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sukhjeet Singh (33rd minute), Abhishek (45th) and Gursewak Singh (60th) found the back of the net for Tigers, while Prabhjot Singh (54th) was the lone goalscorer for Soorma.Both teams started cautiously, with Tigers failing to convert their first three penalty corners. But, three minutes after half-time break, a well-worked penalty-corner variation paid off as Sukhjeet Singh deflected Tom Grambusch’s shot for a goal. Lancers beat Royals 4-2Kalinga Lancers came back twice from a goal down to beat Ranchi Royals 4-2. Alexander Hendrickx (7th & 28th) and Gursahibjit Singh (16th & 26th) scored a brace each for Lancers, while Tom Boon (1st), Mandeep Singh (9th) scored for Royals.Free tickets not enough to translate into fan interestThe opening days of the HIL drew a modest crowd, despite ‘home side’ Tamil Nadu Dragons featuring in the tournament opener on Saturday. In an effort to attract audience, the organisers announced free tickets, but the league still struggled to draw numbers. Hockey India treasurer and HUTN (Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu) president Sekar Manoharan said that the league organisers are expecting more people in the coming days.