Haryana to face MP girls in hockey final

Chandigarh, June 6

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Hockey Haryana will face Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy in the final of the 9th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women's National Championship (A Division) in Hisar.  

In the first semifinal, Hockey Haryana beat Hockey Jharkhand 2-1. After measuring each other in the first quarter, the first goal of the match came just around the halfway stage of the second quarter. Niru Kullu put Hockey Jharkhand in command by converting a penalty corner.  Looking for a comeback, the Hockey Haryana girls found an equaliser in the 40th minute through the stick of Deepika. Having found their groove, Haryana kept pressing for the winner and it was Deepika again who netted the second goal in the 51st minute. Hockey Jharkhand failed to make a comeback and lost the match 1-2.

Meanwhile, in the second semifinal, Gurmail Kaur's twin-goal effort helped Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy beat Sports Authority of India 3-1. Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy failed to convert a penalty corner in the 11th minute. 

However, in the 13th minute, Gurmail made no mistake to put her side ahead by one goal. Two minutes later, Prini Kandar equalised for Sports Authority of India. But Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy girls were in no mood to lose their grip on the match.

Gurmail scored her and the team's second goal to put her team up 2-1 in the 20th minute. A scoreless third quarter gave a sigh of relief to Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy. In the fourth quarter, Soniya Kumre (52nd) scored the third for Madhya Pradesh and the scoreline did not change until the end of regulation time. —TNS