Exciting Finals Await: MP Battles UP in Men’s and Jharkhand in Women’s Hockey Championship
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Rajgir, April 11 (NationPress) The 16th Hockey India Sub Junior National Championship 2026 in Rajgir, Bihar has reached its final stages, gearing up for an exhilarating day of championship matches in Division A.
Hockey Madhya Pradesh is set to challenge Hockey Jharkhand in the Women’s Final, while Hockey Madhya Pradesh will also compete in the Men’s Final against Uttar Pradesh Hockey.
The contest for third place in the Women’s category will feature Hockey Odisha going head-to-head with Uttar Pradesh Hockey. Meanwhile, in the Men’s third-place match, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey will face off against Hockey Punjab. The final matches are scheduled for April 12 at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium.
In the Men’s Final, both sides come in with undefeated records after strong performances in the semi-finals. Hockey Madhya Pradesh triumphed over Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey with a score of 4-2, while Uttar Pradesh Hockey defeated the previous year’s champions, Hockey Punjab, by a convincing 6-2.
This final also serves as a rematch of last year’s third-place contest where Uttar Pradesh Hockey emerged victorious.
Notably, the division’s top two goal-scorers are from Uttar Pradesh Hockey. Shahrukh Ali leads the scoring charts with 14 goals, while Nitish Yadav has netted seven goals, all from penalty corners.
Additionally, Dhiraj Pal from Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey is also a key player to watch, having scored five goals so far.
The Women’s Final is set to be a thrilling matchup, featuring the defending champions, Hockey Jharkhand, and Hockey Madhya Pradesh, both of which are the highest-scoring teams in their division, netting 19 and 18 goals, respectively. Hockey Jharkhand defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey 2-0 in their semi-final, whereas Hockey Madhya Pradesh narrowly won against Hockey Odisha, finishing 2-1.
Hockey Madhya Pradesh boasts the division's leading scorer, Nousheen Naz, who has scored nine goals. Following her is Sandeepa Kumari of Hockey Jharkhand with five goals.