Sub Jr Men National C'ship: Punjab, Jharkhand, UP, MP, Bengal and AP win on Day 5
Rajgir, April 5
Hockey Punjab, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Jharkhand won on opening day of Division A of the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2026.
Meanwhile, in Division B, Hockey Bengal and Hockey Arunachal registered wins at the Rajgir Sports Complex on Sunday.
In Pool A of Division A, Hockey Punjab secured a 2-0 win against Hockey Maharashtra. Sangat Singh (10') and Akash Deep (53') scored for the winners.
In Pool C, Uttar Pradesh Hockey defeated Manipur Hockey 17-1. Shahrukh Ali (5', 22', 23', 24', 29', 33', 35', 36', 49, 49', 59') scored 11 goals, while Nitish Yadav (3', 18') scored a brace. Captain Kushwaha Ketan (6') and also Karan Dhanak (17') found the back of the net. For Manipur Hockey, Maibam Manimatum (14') scored their lone goal.
In Pool D, Hockey Madhya Pradesh registered a Kerala Hockey 10-1. Raiyan Ul Haq (5', 34', 36') scored a hat-trick, while Gazee Khan (49', 55'), Captain Ansh Bahutra (15'), Ayush Singh Lodhi (25'), Karan Gautam (37'), Deepak Singh (45'), Devraj Prajapat (52') also added to the goal tally for their side.
In Pool B, Hockey Jharkhand clinched a 1-0 win against Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu Hockey. Ashish Tani Purti (22') scored the only goal of the game.
In Pool A of Division B, Hockey Bengal registered an 18-0 win over Hockey Gujarat. Munna Kumar Singh (5', 27', 37', 49', 50', 55') scored six, while Sujal Turi (28', 32', 42') and Sujal Balmiki (57', 59', 60') bagged hat-tricks. Risav Ray (17', 24') and Ratan Bind (24', 29') scored braces, while Captain Riju Bar (28') and Abhishek Thakur (47') also contributed.
In Pool B of the same division, Hockey Arunachal got over the line with a 5-3 win against Chhattisgarh Hockey. Rajbhar Shubham (25', 33', 38'), Ashwani Patel (15') and Mohit Yadav (49') scored for the winners, while Om Kumar Yadav (27', 40') and Gopal Paikra (55') found the back of the net for Chhattisgarh Hockey.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While the high scores show skill, a 17-1 or 18-0 scoreline is concerning for the development of the sport. The federation should look at better competitive balance. The talent gap between states seems huge.
So proud of Hockey Bengal! 18-0 is a statement win. Munna Kumar Singh with 6 goals! Hope these boys get the right platform to grow. Bengal has always been a hockey hub.
Good to see teams from the North-East like Manipur and Arunachal participating. Arunachal's win is commendable! Hockey needs to grow in every corner of India, not just traditional powerhouses.
Punjab winning 2-0 against Maharashtra shows a tight, disciplined game. Sometimes 2-0 is more impressive than 17-1. Solid defence wins championships! Well done, lads.
The future looks bright! So many young scorers - Shahrukh Ali, Raiyan Ul Haq, Munna Kumar Singh. Hope they all get good coaching and don't fade away. Jai Hind!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.