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Uttar Pradesh Hockey Wins Gold at Sub Junior Men's National Championship

Uttar Pradesh Hockey emerged as champions of the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men's National Championship after a commanding 5-2 victory over Hockey Madhya Pradesh in the final. The team's triumph was built on a dominant campaign that included a 17-1 opening win and a 6-2 semi-final victory. Ali Shahrukh finished as the team's leading scorer, playing a pivotal role throughout the tournament. In the bronze medal match, Hockey Punjab secured a narrow 1-0 win over Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey.

Key Points: UP Wins Hockey India Sub Junior Men's National Championship 2026

  • UP defeated MP 5-2 in final
  • Ali Shahrukh was leading scorer
  • Hockey Punjab won bronze medal
  • Dominant tournament run for UP
2 min read

Uttar Pradesh Hockey clinches gold at 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men's National Championship

Uttar Pradesh Hockey clinched the gold medal, defeating Madhya Pradesh 5-2 in the final of the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men's National Championship.

"Uttar Pradesh sealed a comprehensive 5-2 win. - Tournament Report"

Rajgir, April 12

Uttar Pradesh Hockey emerged champions of the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2026 in Rajgir, Bihar, after defeating Hockey Madhya Pradesh in the Division 'A' Final.

According to a release, meanwhile, Hockey Punjab secured the Bronze medal, overcoming Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey in the 3rd/4th place match.

The summit clash saw Uttar Pradesh Hockey put on a commanding display to defeat Hockey Madhya Pradesh 5-2 in an entertaining Final. Uttar Pradesh drew first blood early in the contest through skipper Ketan Kushwaha (4'), who opened the scoring with a field goal.

Hockey Madhya Pradesh responded swiftly as Gazee Khan (8') struck the equaliser to keep the match evenly poised. However, Uttar Pradesh soon wrested back control, with Nitish Yadav (13') converting from a penalty corner before Ali Shahrukh (28') extended the lead with a field goal. Rajbhar Prahlad (35') and Chauhan Raghvendra Singh (40') then added to the tally to put Uttar Pradesh firmly in command.

Ayush Singh Lodhi (43') managed to pull one back for Hockey Madhya Pradesh, but it proved to be only a consolation as Uttar Pradesh sealed a comprehensive 5-2 win.

Uttar Pradesh Hockey's title-winning run was underlined by an impressive campaign throughout the tournament. They began with a dominant 17-1 win over Manipur Hockey, followed it up with a 4-0 victory against Hockey Arunachal in the pool stage, then overcame Hockey Odisha 6-3 in the quarter-final.

In the semi-final, Uttar Pradesh Hockey defeated Hockey Punjab 6-2 before producing another clinical performance in the Final to lift the trophy. Ali Shahrukh finished as their leading scorer and played a key role in their triumphant run.

Earlier in the day, Hockey Punjab edged past Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey 1-0 in the 3rd/4th place match of Division 'A' to clinch the Bronze medal. Rajveer Singh (8') scored the only goal of the match, striking early in the contest to give Punjab the decisive advantage.

Despite a spirited effort from Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Punjab held firm to secure a hard-fought victory and finish their campaign on the podium.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone who follows junior hockey closely, I'm impressed by the quality of play. Ali Shahrukh was a standout performer. It's heartening to see such depth in talent across states like UP, MP, and Punjab. The future of Indian hockey looks bright!
V
Vikram M
Great to see the tournament being held in Rajgir, Bihar. We need to develop sports infrastructure across all states, not just the traditional hubs. Kudos to Hockey India for organizing this. MP put up a good fight too. Tough luck for Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, they played well to reach the 3rd/4th place match.
R
Rohit P
While the win is commendable, the article focuses only on the top teams. What about the development of hockey in the northeastern states or smaller UTs? Manipur lost 17-1. We need more balanced competition and investment in grassroots coaching across the board, not just in a few states.
P
Priya S
So proud of our boys from Uttar Pradesh! Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 The way they responded after MP equalized shows great character. Ketan Kushwaha leading from the front as captain. Hope these players get good support and guidance to progress to the senior national team.
M
Michael C
The scorelines show some very one-sided matches. A 17-1 victory, while impressive for UP, points to a potential mismatch in the early stages of the tournament. The organizers might want to look at the seeding and pool composition to ensure more competitive games for all participating teams.

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