Niger Flickers, Union Bank Qualify For Semi Finals

Niger Flickers of Minna and Union Bank of Lagos yesterday in
Abuja qualified for the men’s semi-finals of the 2012 IEI National Premier
Hockey League Finals.

Both teams qualified from Group B at the end of their four
preliminary round matches each.

In matches played at the Astro-Turf Hockey pitch of the
Abuja National Stadium, the Niger Flickers defeated the Ondo Flickers 3-0 to
top the group.

They finished with 10 points from three wins and a draw in
four matches, after scoring nine goals and conceding one.

The Minna team will now meet the Kano State team in today’s
semi-finals.

The Union Bank team, on its part, drew goalless with Police
Machine to end up with six points from one win and three draws in four matches.

They finished second in the group and will face the Group A
winners— the Yobe Desert Warriors of Damaturu— in the other semi-final pairing.

Yobe Desert Warriors and Kano State had already qualified
earlier in the week from Group A at the conclusion of their preliminary round
matches.

The Damaturu side topped the group with seven points from
two wins and one draw in three matches, while Kano State were second with three
points from three draws.

The Ondo Flickers will now meet Bayelsa Kings in today’s
classification match for the 5th and 6th positions.

Kaduna Flickers will also face Police Machine for the 7th
and 8th positions today

The final and third-place matches in both the men and women
categories have been scheduled for tomorrow.

Seventeen teams, made up of nine men and eight women sides
are taking part in the competition.