Premier Handball League: Golden Eagles UP register first win of tournament

Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh recorded their first victory in the Premier Handball League as they defeated Garvit Gujarat while Telugu Talons continued their winning run against Delhi Panzers.

Match 15 of the inaugural season of the Premier Handball League saw Garvit Gujarat take on winless Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh. Both teams were looking for a quick start to the game as they were matching each other blow for blow in the opening minutes of the game.

The Golden Eagles however were able to establish a lead thanks to some lethal finishing by Sukhveer Singh Brar, Harjinder Singh, and Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde. Uttar Pradesh further extended their lead after some phenomenal saves by Omid Reza in their goal. Despite the best efforts of Avin Khatkar and Harender Singh Nain Gujarat were struggling to score consistently.

Tarun Thakur of Gujarat was struggling to find his finishing touch in attack, which allowed Uttar Pradesh to establish a healthy lead. Soon after the first period ended as the scores read 17-11 in favour of the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh.

Garvit Gujarat started the second half aggressively as Harender Singh Nain was showcasing his brute force in attack to cut short the deficit. Unfortunately for Gujarat, the Golden Eagles found another gear in attack as Sanchit Kumar came off the bench to add another dimension to his team going forward.

In turn, The Golden Eagles further extended their lead. Omid Reza in the Uttar Pradesh goal was putting on a masterclass as he was making astounding reflex saves to help his team pull away further from Gujarat.

The Gujarat players looked deflated going into the last 10 minutes of the game. Captain of Garvit Gujarat Avin Khatkar also came off with a slight knock which dulled Gujarat’s attack further.

In the dying embers of the game, Omid Reza stepped out from his goal and made his way forward to score a stunning goal to put the tie to bed. The match ended immediately after as the scores read 34-28 in favour of the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh.

Omid Reza was adjudged to be the best player of the match for his phenomenal saves for the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh, he even scored a stunning goal in the game and saved two penalties.

The Telugu Talons came away with a victory against the Delhi Panzers in a match that ended 26-23. The match was a grueling tactical battle which was a delight to watch for the neutrals.

Telugu and Delhi started the game at a blistering pace as both teams were looking to establish a lead. Both teams were evenly matched in the opening minutes of the game.

However, a couple of saves from Rahul TK in the Talons goal saw his team take the lead. Naseeb and Kailash Patel were being fed dangerous balls by Davinder Singh Bhullar and were scoring with venomous shots from the wings, which saw the Talons extend their lead.

The Panzers came back into the game as they got into their attacking groove thanks to Deepak Ahlawat, Bhupender Ghanghas and Jasmeet Singh who scored back-to-back goals to cut short the deficit.

As the teams were exchanging blow for blow Telugu struggled to establish an unassailable lead. Soon after the half ended as the scores read 13-10 in favour of the Telugu Talons.

The Delhi Panzers came out for the second half determined to cut short the slender lead the Telugu Talons held. Bhupender Ghanghas, Deepak Ahlawat, and Ashok Nain were passing the ball fluidly and finding the back of the net with ease. Nittin Kumar Sharma in the Delhi goal was also doing his bit as he made some amazing saves to allow the Panzers to find a way back into the game.

However, the introduction of the Talons captain Shubham Sheoran saw his team wrestle back control of the game. Naseeb, Davinder, Anil Khudia, and Shubham were combining expertly for the Talons in attack which saw them establish a considerable lead going into the last 10 minutes of the game.

The Panzers were seemingly running out of steam as the game went on, while the Talons were successfully able to up the ante. The Talons keeper Rahul TK made some spectacular saves in the last 5 minutes of the game to make sure his team held onto their lead.

His saves in the game also saw him become the first keeper in the PHL to make 100 saves. Soon after the game ended 26-23 in favour of the Telugu Talons.

Rahul TK of the Telugu Talons was adjudged to be the best player of the game for his numerous saves in the game.