Premier Handball League: Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh beat Delhi Panzers to book semi-final berth

Jaipur (Rajasthan)[India], June 23 : 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.

The final league match of the Premier Handball League saw Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh clash with the Delhi Panzers. 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 the 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 a 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 thereon. 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 the 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 8.30 pm.

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 8 goals. Bhushan Shinde was also adjudged to be the most valuable player of the match.