Premier Handball League 2023: Golden Eagles UP pip Delhi Panzers to make semis, Rajasthan Patriots stun table leaders Maharashtra Ironmen

Despite the loss, the Ironmen finished atop the standings in the PHL.

The Rajasthan Patriots secured a stunning 35-30 victory against the Maharashtra Ironmen in the final league game of Premier Handball League 2023. The two teams will again take on each other in Semi-Final 1 set to be played on 24th June 2023 with the game set to kick-off at 7pm.

Igor Chiseliov, Jalal Kiani and Sumit Kumar led the charge for the Maharashtra Ironmen from the first whistle and helped their team take the lead early on.  The Rajasthan Patriots came back into the game thanks to a couple of great saves by their Captain and keeper Atul Kumar.

Happy Singh was playing brilliantly for the Patriots as he was a menace to contain for the Ironmen every time he broke forward. Ahmad Al-Otabi was also playing a significant role in the game as he was tasked to man-mark Kiani. Otabi struggled to do so in the early minutes but eventually started restricting Jalal’s influence on the game. He was also making his presence felt in the first half as he scored some crucial goals in the half. By the 15th minute mark, the scores read 7-6 in favour of Maharashtra Ironmen.

The Maharashtra Ironmen made a tactical tweak in the first half itself that saw Jalal get more chances which he was converting efficiently. The likes of Chiseliov, Sumit Kumar and Aman were kept relatively quiet as their influence on the game was waning. On the other hand, Dmitry Kireev, Manish Malik, Amninder Singh and especially Happy Singh were combining superbly in attack and were scoring consistently.

The Rajasthan Patriots took the lead and started to pull away from the Ironmen who were floundering in attack compared to their high standards. The half came to a close soon after as the scores read 18-16 in favour of Rajasthan.

The Patriots came out for the second half determined to further extend their lead. Ajay Kumar in the Ironmen goal was bearing the brunt of the Patriots rampant attack, as despite his best efforts he could not stem the flow of goals. Kireev and Happy were phenomenal knick as they were uncontainable in the game.  The Patriots extended their lead with ease, halfway through the second half the scores read 30-22 in favour of the Rajasthan Patriots.

The Ironmen were trying their level best to find a way back into the game without their star players Kiani and Chiseliov who were being rested for the upcoming semi-finals against the Patriots. Even though Sumit Kumar was able to score consistently, he had very little support from his teammates as they looked flat in attack and devoid of ideas.

While the Ironmen were struggling to score, the Patriots’ Al-Otabi and Manish Malik were able to score freely. The Patriots had established a healthy lead going into the last 10 minutes of the game while the Ironmen players seemed content with the loss. Soon after the game came to an end as the scores read 35-30 in favour of the Patriots.

Happy Singh was the top scorer for the Patriots in this game with eight goals, while Jalal Kiani was the top scorer for the Ironmen in the match with seven goals. Dmitry Kireev was adjudged to be the most valuable player of the match.

Final Score - Rajasthan Patriots 35-30 Maharashtra Ironmen

Golden Eagles UP pip Delhi Panzers to reach knockouts

The Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh clinched victory against the Delhi Panzers in a dramatic match that ended 36-35 in favour of the Golden Eagles. This was a crucial game for both teams as the winner of this encounter would become the fourth and final semi-finalist. 

Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh and Delhi Panzers started the game in blistering fashion as both teams were going all out in attack from the first whistle. While Bhupender Ghanghas and Jasmeet Singh were leading the charge for the Panzers, Sukhveer Singh Brar and Captain of the Golden Eagles, Vikas were attacking with ferocity for their team.

A couple of saves from Omid Reza in the Golden Eagles goal saw his team establish a slender lead. Harjinder Panjeta of the Golden Eagles came to life after his team endured the initial Panzers on slaught. He made use of his incredible leap to score acrobatic goals from distance that saw the Golden Eagles extend their lead. By the 15th minute of the game the scores read 11-8 in favour of Uttar Pradesh.

Elmuratov Sardor put in a stunning performance as he was denying the Golden Eagles to extend their lead constantly and was keeping the Panzers in the game from there on. Bhupender Ghanghas and Jasmeet Singh were also able to find the back of the goal consistently but were not able to equalise. Soon after the first half came to an end as the scores read 20-18 in favour of the Golden Eagles.

The Delhi Panzers came out for the second half determined to take control of the game. However, they could not get the fast start to the half they were hoping for. Sukhveer Singh Brar and Vikas were shooting with devastating effect right at the start of the second half, which saw Uttar Pradesh extend their lead.

In spite of the Golden Eagles blitz, the Panzers recovered superbly. Bhupender Ghanghas was putting on a masterclass in the game as he was extremely clinical from the wings that saw Delhi come roaring back into the game. Rakesh Kumar in the Delhi goal was also doing his bit as he made numerous saves as his team took the lead. Uttar Pradesh instantly recovered as they levelled the scores. Both teams were matching each blow for blow. Halfway through the second period the scores read 28-27 in favour of the Panzers, who were showing immense grit in the match.

The Captain of the Delhi Panzers, Deepak Ahlawat also came to life in the second half as he was defending with everything he had and found his finishing touch. However, Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde also got into his attacking groove in the second half and made sure the scores were level at 31 all as the last 10 minutes of game beckoned. Neither team was able to pull away from the other as they were both shooting effectively.

Two goals back-to-back by Harjinder Panjeta and Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde for the Golden Eagles took a crucial lead in the dying embers of the game. Soon after the game came to an end as the scores read 36-35 in favour of the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh, who booked their spot in the semi-finals. They will take on the Telugu Talons in the semi-final that will be played on the 24th June 2023 and the game will kick-off at 8.30pm.

Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde was the top scorer for the Golden Eagles in the game with 10 goals, while Bhupender Ghanghas was the top scorer for the Delhi Panzers in the match with eight goals. Bhushan Shinde was also adjudged to be the most valuable player of the match.

Final Score - Delhi Panzers 35-36 Golden Eagles UP