Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Hockey Chandigarh have successfully entered the semi-finals of the 13th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2023, after winning their respective quarter-final matches at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha.
Hockey Madhya Pradesh secured a 9-2 victory over Hockey Maharashtra in the first quarter-final match, with Ali Ahmad and Zameer Mohammad each scoring a brace to give their team a comfortable lead. Mohammad Zaid Khan, Mohit Karma, Mohd Konain Dad, Rahul Pal, and Arman Khan also scored one goal each for Hockey Madhya Pradesh. Jay Kale and Ajay Naidu netted one goal each for Hockey Maharashtra in response.
In the second quarter-final match, Hockey Chandigarh defeated Hockey Punjab 1-1 (3-2 SO) after Paramvir Singh scored the opening goal for Hockey Chandigarh. Sukhwinder Singh then equalized for Hockey Punjab. During the shoot-out, Raman, Harpanthpreet Singh, and Ajaypal Singh scored for Hockey Chandigarh, while Bikramjit Singh stood tall in goal to lead his team to a hard-fought victory.
On Sunday, Hockey Haryana emerged victorious over Hockey Uttarakhand with a resounding 10-3 score. Shubham, Roshan, Yogesh Singh, Toshant, Prikshit Panchal, Agyapal, and Captain Rohit all scored one goal each for Hockey Haryana. In reply, Deepak Singh Fartyal, Mahendra Singh Bisht, and Rupesh netted one goal each for Hockey Uttarakhand.
In the other matches, Hockey Association of Odisha secured a 3-2 victory over Manipur Hockey, while Hockey Jammu & Kashmir dominated their match against Hockey Gujarat with a 7-1 scoreline. The match between Hockey Rajasthan and Tripura Hockey was officially forfeited in favor of Tripura Hockey.
On Monday, Hockey Haryana is set to face Hockey Jharkhand, while Hockey Association of Odisha will face Hockey Karnataka in their respective quarter-final matches.
As the tournament progresses, fans eagerly await the outcome of these exciting matches, and the eventual crowning of the 13th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2023 champions.
