Hockey Haryana beat Jharkhand, claim title

Chandigarh, May 22

Hockey Haryana emerged winner of the 12th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship by defeating Hockey Jharkhand (2-0) in Imphal, Manipur, today.

Hockey Jharkhand are a strong side. We knew it was going to be a challenging game. We went with a defensive strategy and just tried to keep the ball as much as possible. — Azad Singh Malik, Hockey Haryana coach

Riya (13th) and Sejal (39th) scored a goal each to help Hockey Haryana successfully defend the title.

Expressing his delight after the title win, Hockey Haryana coach Azad Singh Malik said: “Hockey Jharkhand are a strong side. We knew it was going to be a challenging game. We went with a defensive strategy today and just tried to keep the ball as much as we can. I am really happy that the players showed great character, maintained the structure and just stuck to their plans throughout the game.”

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Hockey defeated Madhya Pradesh Hockey (3-0) to secure third place in the tournament. Pushpanjali Sonkar (4th), Manisha Patel (5th) and Purnima Yadav (58th) scored a goal each to help Uttar Pradesh Hockey seal the third place in the competition for the second consecutive time.