Pune, March 19: Odisha will play Karnataka in the quarterfinal of the 14th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship at the Major Dhyanchand Hockey Stadium, Pimpri.
The league stage of the championship concluded on Tuesday with Karnataka and Manipur winning their respective Pool G matches.
Manipur defeated Uttarakhand 11-2 in the final match of the league stage to qualify for the knock-outs. Sarita Dev Bramhacharimayum (8’, 24’), Prabhleen Kaur (14’, 45’) and Chingshubam Sanggai Ibemhal (53’, 60’) scored braces while Vartika Rawat (5’), Sonia Devi Kshetrimayum (7’), Ranjita Sanasam (44’), captain Lily Chanu Mayengbam (57’) and Chanu Lanchenbi Khundrakpam (59’) scored a goal each for Manipur. The two goals for Uttarakhand were field goals that came from the sticks of Komal Dhami (36’) and Monika Chand (41’).
Earlier in the day, Karnataka defeated Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 13-0. Captain of Hockey Karnataka Kruthika SP (15’, 26’, 56’, 56’) led from the front with four goals while MG Yashika (20’, 38’, 58’) scored a hat-trick, Chandana J (33’, 37’) scored a brace and Adira S (43’), Prashu Singh Parihar (48’), Anjali H R (55’) and Gedela Gayatri (60’) scored a goal each.
With the top team from each Pool qualifying for the knock-outs, the stage is set for some high-octane action and top-quality hockey. All the quarter-finals are scheduled to take place on March 20th with the winners going through to the semis that are to be played on March 22.
The first quarter-final will be played between defending champions Madhya Pradesh and Bengal. Led by Indian women’s hockey team defender Ishika Chaudhary, Madhya Pradesh beat Chhattisgarh 8-0 and Bihar 7-1 to top Pool A and qualify for the knockouts.
Bengal on the other hand defeated Tamil Nadu 2-0, Telangana 11-0, and Gujarat 28-0 to top Pool H.
Hosts Maharashtra will face off against Manipur in the second quarter-final. Beating Delhi 3-0 and Kerala 10-0, Maharashtra finished in first place in Pool B while Manipur defeated Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 12-0, Karnataka 3-0 and Uttarakhand 11-2 to finish first in Pool G.
The third quarter-final will see Jharkhand play Mizoram. Jharkhand, boasting of four international players, posted a commanding win over Andhra Pradesh 13-0 before drawing with Uttar Pradesh 2-2 to top Pool C by means of having a better goal difference than Uttar Pradesh. Mizoram, however, has topped Pool F on the back of three consecutive wins, defeating Himachal 10-0, Rajasthan 20-2 and Punjab 4-2.
Haryana will play Odisha in the fourth quarter-final. The star-studded Haryana team with 11 international players and led by Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita goes into the knock-outs with two massive wins without conceding a single goal, defeating Assam 15-0 and Le Puducherry 22-0 to top Pool D.
Pool E toppers Odisha qualified after beating Goans 9-1 and Chandigarh 6-1.
All the Quarter-Finals will be played on Wednesday with the winners going through to the Semi-Finals to be played on March 22. (With IANS support)
