Key Points

Hockey Punjab won the tournament in 2023; however, in the last edition, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Hockey Maharashtra. This time, led by Captain Hardik Singh and Coach Rajinder Singh, Hockey Punjab claimed the championship again, as per the Hockey India press release.

Hockey Punjab finished second in Division 1, Pool A, three points behind Hockey Madhya Pradesh, who dealt them their only defeat in the tournament. In the quarterfinal, Hockey Punjab earned a 3-2 win over Hockey Haryana, followed by a 4-3 victory against Uttar Pradesh Hockey in the semifinal. Despite their earlier loss, Hockey Punjab ensured they learnt from their mistakes and defeated Hockey Madhya Pradesh comfortably in the final.

Jugraj Singh was in top form for Hockey Punjab, having finished the tournament as the second-highest goalscorer with five goals and even recording a crucial brace in the final. Young sensation Araijeet Singh Hundal also played a crucial role in the attack and claimed three goals to his name.

Reflecting on the tournament, Hockey Punjab coach Rajinder Singh stated as quoted by the Hockey India press release, "It was a very good tournament for us, and we gave a solid performance overall. The loss against Hockey Madhya Pradesh was truly a turning point for us. We knew we were a strong side, but after that loss, we regrouped and ensured we didn't take the rest of the matches lightly."

Talking about the team's strategy, Rajinder Singh said, "Since we didn't have a lot of time to train together before the tournament, I left it upon the players to settle and play naturally since we have a few national players in the squad. After the loss in the Pool stage, we changed our strategy a little and shifted from zonal-marking to man-marking, which worked out better for us."

In the final, Hockey Punjab conceded a goal first but made a brilliant comeback in the second half to seal the match. After the final, Captain Hardik Singh said, "The plan was to attack from the start and the boys executed well. Though I still feel we missed a couple of chances, we are extremely happy with the win. It's always great to perform in the domestic circuit, overall the competition was good and it feels good to win the gold medal."

- ANI