MAHILPUR (Hoshiarpur): Punjab and Mizoram played pulsating  soccer, worthy of a title clash, before  the host  bowled out  in style  by a solitary  first half goal in the 31st  Mir Iqbal Hussein  Sub Jr. National Football  Championship at the Govt. Sr. Secondary School Ground here. 

Mizoram,  led by a 13th  minute, stunner from the mercurial striker Lan mavia, thus emerged champion and lifted the glittering  Sardar  Sahib Balwant Singh Bains  Trophy.  Goa who finished third adjudged the team with the cleanliness approach to game to claim Sardar Upinder Singh Bains Fairplay Trophy.   Lallunmavia from Mizoram, declared  Champion of Sardar Balwant Singh Bains Champion's cup for the most outstanding player of the tournament whereas  Munna Lal from Punjab was declared the Man of the match.  The Mizos owed their splendid achievement as much to some superb display of top quality soccer as to a shockingly freak umpiring verdict, depriving Punjab of a certain equalizer midway through the second half.

The much awaited title clash between the rampaging Mizoram and the ever improving Punjab was played  at a blistering taste right from the word go.   The Mizo outfit  was the first to settle down, while Punjab appeared to struggle on a turf rendered foggy and almost unplayable because of the sudden early morning showers.   The Mizos counted the turf disadvantage by  resorting to aerial play whereas the host battled somewhat unsuccessfully  with an attack based on short pastels and scotching solo runs along the flanks. The visitors sensed the Punjab embarrassment and  Lal Josaph  and Khalalhring combined beautifully to slit open the Punjab defence line. They attacked relentlessly  and were rewarded for some glorious opportunism when   Lallunmavia striker  fired a stinging right footer from the left plank at almost 0 angel.  The ball curved in mid air and swung fast and otherwise impregnable goalkeeper.

The 2nd half saw a complete reversal of roles.  Punjab seemed to have done a drastic re-think on their strategy and went on the offensive right away.  They should have found the equalizer in only the 3rd minute after resumption when  Gurpreet Senior,  Gurpreet, Harpreet and Rajbir two central forwards spun a delightful move from deep inside theirr own territory and completely bamboozled the Mizo defenders.   However, with just the goalkeeper to beat,  Rajbir shot wide.  This was the first of the many opportunities that were to come Punjab's way.  If they have capitalized on even half of these, they should have won the match by a handsome margin.  But there was not to be.  About 25 minutes into the second half,  the dangerous looking Rajbir, Gurpreet –Deo once again  rattled the Mizo wall but this time they were undone by a seemingly  unbelievable umpiring  bloomer.  2nd before Rajbir found the net with slick right footer, with the goalkeeper diving the other way, one of the Mizo defenders tripped and sustained a minor muscle injury.  The umpire blew the whistle for stubbage even as Rajbir was performing his magic.  This virtually caused Punjab the Match and although they were unlucky on at least three more occasions, they never seemed to have  completely recovered from the umpiring fiasco, to go down in blazing glory.

Star India International and Wizard of  yester years, the mercurial forward Inder Singh, was the specially felicitated with Sardar Balwant Singh Bains Life Time Achievement Award.  Punjab Minister for Sports  Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike who distributed the prizes and announced a grount of Rs.2 lac for the Harbhajan Sporting Club and the Tournament Committee.