Odisha defeats Madhya Pradesh to win junior hockey championship

Hockey Association of Odisha captured the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 title this Sunday. They claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Hockey Madhya Pradesh during an exciting final match in Coimbatore.

Odisha has heavily invested in grassroots sports infrastructure over recent years, steadily building a strong pipeline of talented local players. This groundwork showed early in the final. Mandeep Kerketta struck fast, opening the scoreboard just two minutes into the game. His quick goal gave Odisha an instant advantage and forced Madhya Pradesh onto the back foot.

Both teams battled hard for control of the midfield. Madhya Pradesh pushed fiercely and eventually broke through the tough defence. Sohil Ali scored an equalising goal in the 37th minute to set up a tense final quarter. Odisha responded with fresh energy instead of backing down. Team captain Deepak Pradhan secured the game-winning goal in the 45th minute. Madhya Pradesh tried desperately to tie the match again in the closing moments, but the defence held firm until the final whistle sounded.

Punjab secures third place with strong finish

Hockey Punjab earned the bronze medal after a dominant 6-3 win over Hockey Jharkhand. Gurwinder Singh got things started for Punjab with a goal in the 11th minute. Team captain Jarman Singh then added two rapid goals in the 34th and 36th minutes. Ajaypal Singh found the net in the 41st minute. Finally, Charanjeet Singh scored twice in the 52nd and 53rd minutes to finish off Punjab's impressive tally.

Jharkhand fought bravely throughout the high-scoring bronze medal clash. Patras Hassa delivered a remarkable performance by scoring a hat-trick for his team. He struck successful shots in the 33rd, 40th, and 56th minutes. Despite his incredible effort, Punjab maintained their strong lead and walked away with third place in the national tournament.

With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI