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Key Points

Four teams have advanced to the semifinals of the Junior Men's National Hockey Championship. Haryana narrowly defeated Karnataka 3-2 in a closely contested match. Uttar Pradesh secured their spot with a 2-1 victory over Madhya Pradesh after rain delays. Odisha delivered the most dominant performance with a crushing 9-0 win against Manipur. Hosts Punjab comfortably beat Jharkhand 4-1 to complete the semifinal lineup.

Key Points: Haryana UP Odisha Punjab Advance to Junior Men's Hockey Semifinals

  • Haryana edges Karnataka 3-2 in tight quarterfinal clash
  • Uttar Pradesh defeats Madhya Pradesh 2-1 in rain-delayed match
  • Odisha dominates Manipur with overwhelming 9-0 victory
  • Punjab secures semifinal spot with 4-1 win over Jharkhand
2 min read

Jr Men's Hockey Nationals: Haryana, UP, Odisha, Punjab advance into semis

Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Punjab secure semifinal spots in 15th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship after thrilling quarterfinal victories.

"Hockey Punjab, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana, Manipur Hockey, Hockey Association of Odisha, and Hockey Karnataka thus became eight teams that qualified for the quarterfinals. - Hockey India"

Jalandhar, Aug 20

Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Punjab won their respective quarterfinal clashes to seal their spots in the semifinals of the 15th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship, which was held here on Wednesday.

In the first quarterfinal of the day, Hockey Haryana defeated Hockey Karnataka in a close 3-2 match with Navraj Singh (6’), Sachin (22’), and Chirag (59’) scoring for Hockey Haryana, while Nitesh Sharma (28’) and Sampan Ganapathy B.P (43’) scored for Hockey Karnataka.

After heavy rain washed out the other matches on Tuesday, the second quarterfinal took place on Wednesday evening with Uttar Pradesh Hockey defeating Hockey Madhya Pradesh 2-1 to secure their place in the last-four stage. Satyam Pandey (34') and Akash Pal (47') scored a goal each for Uttar Pradesh Hockey, while the lone goal for Hockey Madhya Pradesh was scored by Harsh Phalswal (59') in the final minutes of the game.

In the third quarterfinal match, Hockey Association of Odisha defeated Manipur Hockey 9-0 with Karan Lakra (54’, 59’) scoring two goals and Bilkan Oram (4’), Ritik Lakra (25’), Yojin Minz (27’), Nitesh Minz (28’), Harun Minz (29’), Abhisek Topno (39’) and Deepak Pradhan (47’) scoring a goal each.

The final match of the day took place between Hockey Punjab and Hockey Jharkhand, with the host cementing their place in the semis with a 4-1 win. Japnit Singh (8’, 47’) scored two goals for Hockey Punjab, while captain Gursewak Singh (4’) and Jobanpreet Singh (57’) scored one goal each. The lone goal for Hockey Jharkhand was scored by Amrit Horo (59’).

Earlier on Monday, Hockey Association of Odisha, Manipur Hockey, and Hockey Jharkhand won their matches while Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu played out a draw to end the pool stage of the competition on a positive note.

Hockey Punjab, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana, Manipur Hockey, Hockey Association of Odisha, and Hockey Karnataka thus became eight teams that qualified for the quarterfinals.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Odisha's 9-0 victory is absolutely dominant! Karan Lakra scoring twice in the final minutes shows their relentless spirit. Future Indian team stars in the making! 🇮🇳
A
Aman W
As a hockey fan from Punjab, I'm thrilled to see our boys make it to semis! Japnit Singh with two goals - that's some quality performance. Host advantage working well! 💪
S
Sarah B
The rain delay must have been challenging for all teams. Great to see they maintained their focus and delivered such exciting matches. UP's comeback after the weather interruption was impressive!
V
Vikram M
While the matches were exciting, I wish there was better TV coverage for these junior nationals. These young players deserve more visibility and support from hockey fans across India.
N
Nikhil C
So many goals scored in the final minutes (59') across multiple matches! Shows these youngsters have incredible stamina and never-give-up attitude. Future of Indian hockey looks bright! ✨

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