Punjab out, Haryana & Odisha to vie for hockey national final

The 15th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship has reached its final stage, with Odisha and Haryana set to clash for the title. In a semi-final encounter, Odisha defeated Punjab 3-2 in a closely contested match. Meanwhile, Haryana delivered a commanding performance to defeat Uttar Pradesh 3-0 and secure their spot in the final.

This year’s championship featured a total of 30 teams from across the country. Owing to the successful hosting of the 14th edition last year, Hockey India once again entrusted Hockey Punjab with organising the event.

To ensure a competitive structure, Hockey India divided the teams into three divisions—A, B and C—based on their national rankings.

Division A included top-tier teams such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra. Division B comprised teams like Delhi, Chandigarh, Assam and Bihar, while Division C featured emerging teams from states such as Kerala, Telangana, Rajasthan and Goa.

Division A had 12 teams split into four pools, Division B had 10 teams across two pools and Division C featured 8 teams in two pools. A total of eight league matches were played daily throughout the tournament.

Hockey India appointed Faheem Khan as the Technical Delegate and international umpire Anand Dangi as the Umpire Manager for the championship. All matches were streamed live on Hockey India’s official YouTube channel, allowing fans nationwide to follow the action.

Crucially, national selectors were present throughout the tournament to scout talent for the Indian junior men’s hockey team, making this a pivotal event for the players.

Sharing details about the ongoing championship at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium, Hockey Punjab President Nitin Kohli and general secretary Amrik Singh Powar announced that the final will be held on August 23 at 3.30 pm. The prize distribution ceremony will be presided over by Dr Ravjot Singh, Punjab’s Minister for Local Government.