Trustees, Police Ladies shine in Mills’ memorial hockey
Police Ladies played a determined game to defeat highly-fancied GRA Ladies 4-3 on penalties and win the maiden John Evans Atta Mills memorial hockey tournament at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium last Saturday .
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GRA Ladies, who had become a dominant force in the Sapholda Hockey League had earlier defeated Extinguishers 3-0 in their first match last Saturday to win the heart of the numerous hockey fans.
They were thus tipped to beat Police Ladies hands down in the grand finale to win the ladies trophy of the maiden Atta Mills memorial tournament, but Police Ladies matched them squarely throughout the game which ended barren before defeated them 4-3 in a penalty shootout to win the trophy at stake.
Moments after the match ended, the stadium was set alight with a thunderous applause for Police Ladies who responded with unique celebrations that added much excitement to the tournament , described as very attractive.
In the men’s category, it was Trustees who set the stadium agog when they defied all odds to hold GRA 1-1 in regulation time before beating them 3-2 on penalties to win the trophy at stake.
On their way to the final, Police Ladies defeated Reformers 1-0, while GRA extinguished Extinguishers 3-0 to set a date with Police Ladies in the grand finale.
Trustees, however, beat Exchequers 5-2 on penalties after settling for a 1-1 draw during regulation time, while league leaders GRA defeated Police 4-1.
In the Masters’ game, Multisticks won the trophy at stake after their opponents, Sapholda, pulled out.
The organisers, therefore, declared Multisticks winners and awarded them the trophy at stake.
On their way to the finals, Multisticks defeated NDK Financiers 2-0, while Sapholda beat Citizens International 2-0 to book a date with Multisticks, for the finals where they eventually pulled out to the disappointment of the fans who had filled the stadium to capacity in anticipation of a thrilling Masters encounter.
In the exhibition match between KN Owusu XI and John Atta Mills XI which saw Sam Kofi Atta Mills, son of the late President, featuring for the latter, they lost narrowly to KN Owusu XI who were handed the glittering trophy.