Sub-jr Men’s National Hockey: Punjab, UP, MP win quarterfinal matches in Division A
Rajgir, April 9 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Teams from Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh registered wins in their respective Division ‘A’ quarterfinal matches on Day 8 of the 16th Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship 2026 at the Rajgir Sports Complex in Rajgir, Bihar, on Thursday.
In the opening game of the day, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey clinched a 2-1 victory against Hockey Chandigarh. Captain Dhiraj Pal (27’, 42’) scored for the winners, while Jasmeet Singh (59’) scored for Hockey Chandigarh.
In the second quarter-final, Hockey Punjab secured a 5-3 win against Hockey Jharkhand in a high-scoring clash. Rajveer Singh (29’, 56’) scored a brace, while Akash Deep (11’), Sahabajpreet Singh (32’), and Sanmukh Singh (39’) also scored for Hockey Punjab. For Hockey Jharkhand, Ashish Tani Purti (15’, 19’, 56’) bagged a hat-trick.
The third quarter-final saw Uttar Pradesh Hockey register a 6-3 win against Hockey Association of Odisha. Nitish Yadav (49’, 51’) scored a brace, while Karan Dhanuk (33’), Prahalad Rajbhar (39’), Captain Ketan Kushwaha (42’), and Romit Pal (52’) also scored for Uttar Pradesh Hockey. Deepak Prakash Toppo (34’, 45’, 57’) scored a hat-trick for the Hockey Association of Odisha.
In the final game of the day, Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Hockey Haryana played out a 0-0 draw before the former clinched a 4-3 win in the shootout. Karan Gautam, Gazee Khan, Siddharth Ben, and Ronin Ningombam Singh scored in the shootout for Hockey Madhya Pradesh, while Ayush Rajak was exceptional in goal for them, making two crucial saves. For Hockey Haryana, Ashish, Sachin, and Vishwjeet converted in the shootout.
Earlier, Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Association of Odisha, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey registered victories in their respective Division ‘A’ matches on Day 7 of the 16th Hockey India Sub-junior Men’s National Championship 2026 in Rajgir, Bihar.
In the first match of the day, Hockey Chandigarh staged a spirited comeback to defeat Hockey Maharashtra 5–3 in a pulsating Pool A encounter. Maharashtra drew first blood through Pravin Patiyal Pratham (21’), but Chandigarh skipper Sahil Duhan (27’) responded swiftly to restore parity.
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