Jr Men Hockey Nationals 2026: Uttarakhand, Chandigarh win Div B; UP, Punjab, Odisha triumph in Div A
Synopsis
Day 5 of the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 in Coimbatore delivered five decisive results across two divisions. Hockey Punjab's 6-2 demolition of Delhi was the standout, while Odisha's captain Deepak Pradhan inspired a comeback win from 1-2 down — the kind of clutch performances national selectors will be tracking closely.
Key Takeaways
Hockey Uttarakhand beat Hockey Jammu & Kashmir 4-0 in Division B, with Vishal Kumar scoring a brace.
Hockey Chandigarh defeated Hockey Arunachal 4-2 , with Gurjeet Singh and Gurpreet Singh each netting twice.
Uttar Pradesh Hockey edged Hockey Bengal 2-1 in Division A, with Prajapati Neeraj scoring the late winner.
Hockey Punjab thrashed Delhi Hockey 6-2 — the biggest margin of the day in Division A.
Hockey Association of Odisha came from behind to beat Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey 4-2 , with captain Deepak Pradhan scoring a decisive brace.
All five matches were played on 1 August 2026 at the Coimbatore Hockey Ground .
Five matches on Day 5 of the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 at the Coimbatore Hockey Ground on 1 August 2026 produced a clean sweep of results, with Hockey Uttarakhand and Hockey Chandigarh claiming Division B wins and Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Punjab, and Hockey Association of Odisha all registering victories in Division A.
Division B Results
Hockey Uttarakhand opened the day with a commanding 4-0 shutout of Hockey Jammu & Kashmir. Vishal Kumar led the scoring with a brace in the 9th and 51st minutes, with Ankit (41') and Prince Bhandari (57') completing the rout.
In the second Division B fixture, Hockey Chandigarh edged past Hockey Arunachal 4-2. Gurjeet Singh (2', 25') and Gurpreet Singh (41', 45') each scored twice for Chandigarh, while Mohd Atif (30') and Samar Ali (31') replied for Arunachal.
Division A Results
Uttar Pradesh Hockey edged a tightly contested encounter against Hockey Bengal, winning 2-1. Captain Rahul Rajbhar gave UP an early advantage in the 7th minute, before Sah Suraj Kumar (41') levelled for Bengal. A late strike from Prajapati Neeraj in the 57th minute secured the three points for Uttar Pradesh.
Hockey Punjab produced the day's most emphatic result, thrashing Delhi Hockey 6-2. Amandeep (6', 12') and Jobanpreet Singh (41', 43') each registered braces, with Charanjeet Singh (32') and Prince Singh (60') adding further goals. Kunal Singh Chhikara netted both Delhi goals in the 49th and 52nd minutes.
Hockey Association of Odisha came from behind to defeat Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey 4-2 in the final match of the day. Bilkan Oram (3') gave Odisha an early lead, but Prashant Rajput (21') and Himanshu Yadav (25') turned the game in favour of the opposition. Captain Deepak Pradhan then scored a decisive brace in the 34th and 44th minutes, before Deonath Nanwar (47') sealed the comeback win.
Context and Competition Format
The 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 is a marquee under-21 tournament that serves as a key talent identification platform for Indian hockey's national pipeline. Teams are split across Division A and Division B, with results determining progression and seeding. Coimbatore is hosting the championship at its dedicated hockey facility, marking a return of top-tier junior hockey to Tamil Nadu.
What to Watch Next
With Day 5 complete, the standings in both divisions will tighten as teams enter the latter stages of the group phase. Performances from captains such as Rahul Rajbhar of UP and Deepak Pradhan of Odisha will be closely watched by national selectors as the tournament progresses.
Point of View
Yet results like Punjab's 6-2 rout of Delhi and Odisha's comeback win deserve more than a scoreline. The tournament's Division A-B split is sound in principle, but without published standings and qualification criteria, national media — and fans — have little way to track who is genuinely in contention. Hockey India would serve the sport better by making live standings and top-scorer lists publicly accessible during the tournament, not just post-event.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026?
It is a national-level under-21 hockey tournament organised by Hockey India, held at the Coimbatore Hockey Ground in Coimbatore in August 2026. The championship features teams from across India competing in Division A and Division B formats.
What were the Day 5 results at the Junior Men Hockey Nationals 2026?
On 1 August 2026, Hockey Uttarakhand beat Hockey Jammu & Kashmir 4-0 and Hockey Chandigarh defeated Hockey Arunachal 4-2 in Division B. In Division A, Uttar Pradesh Hockey beat Hockey Bengal 2-1, Hockey Punjab defeated Delhi Hockey 6-2, and Hockey Association of Odisha beat Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey 4-2.
Who were the standout scorers on Day 5?
Vishal Kumar of Uttarakhand and Gurjeet Singh and Gurpreet Singh of Chandigarh each scored braces in Division B. In Division A, Amandeep and Jobanpreet Singh of Punjab each scored twice, while Odisha captain Deepak Pradhan's brace turned a 1-2 deficit into a 4-2 win.
Where is the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 being held?
The tournament is being held at the Coimbatore Hockey Ground in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Why do the Junior Men Hockey Nationals matter for Indian hockey?
The tournament is a primary talent identification platform for Hockey India, with national selectors using performances to shortlist players for junior and senior national squads. Captains and top scorers from the championship have historically progressed to represent India at international level.
