Bhubaneswar: The third edition of Hockey Association of Odisha Sub- Junior Women’s Hockey State Championship 2024 began on Saturday at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. The tournament would witness a participation of over 20 teams across district units and affiliated academies, competing in a single elimination format over six days, with the finals set for 3 October.
In the opening game of the day, Rayagada defeated Cuttack 2-0, to proceed to the next stage. In the second encounter, Jharsuguda beat Puri by a huge margin of 6-0, advancing further. In the third clash, Nayagarh came on top with a 3-0 score line against Gajapati. Khorda dominated Dhenkanal in the fourth encounter, winning 10-0. In the fifth clash, Sports Hostel Rourkela beat Bhadrak 5-0. The sixth game saw Rourkela Steel Plant defeating Mayurbhanj 9-0, cementing their place in the next round. KITT & KISS defeated Baragarh 5-0 in the seventh encounter, proceeding to round two. While in the eight game, Gangpur Hockey Association defeated Kandhamal 5-0.
In the second half of the day, Deogarh beat Malkangiri 3-0, in the ninth game, advancing further. Jagatsinghpur beat Balangir 2-1, in the tenth encounter. In the eleventh game, Kalahandi came on top in the shootout against SMS hockey Academy with 0-0 SO (4-1) score line. In the closing game of the day, Sambalpur defeatedNabarangpur 6-2, to proceed further.
Speaking ahead of the tournament Dr. Dilip Tirkey, President, Hockey Association of Odisha said “The State Championships provides a great platform for identifying emerging hockey talent in Odisha, and I am thrilled to witness the increasing enthusiasm for hockey among the sub–junior girls. May the best team win, and may the girls make the most of this opportunity to shine”.
