Hockey Association of Odisha crashed out in the quarterfinals of the 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship, losing to hosts Hockey Punjab 3-4 in shoot-out after a 3-3 draw in the regulation time at Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar, Punjab today.
Odisha qualified for the quarterfinals as the Group-D toppers. They won all three of their league matches comfortably, scoring a total 26 goals and conceding only two. Odisha beat Assam 13-0, Arunachal Pradesh 8-0 and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 5-2.
ODISHA JUNIOR MEN HOCKEY TEAM: Goalkeepers: Vivek Lakra, Abhishek Yadav. Defenders: Wilson Xaxa, Abhishek Topno, Jasman Munda, Sandeep Ekka, Pradip Mandal, Sanjit Tirkey. Midfielders: Adrohit Ekka, Harun Minz, Premdyal Giri, Rohit Kullu, Arbin Toppo. Forwards: Karan Lakra, Deepak Pradhan, Deonath Nanwar, Pratap Toppo, Satish Munda. Chief Coach: B J Kariappa.
ODISHA RESULTS:
11 September 2024 (League match): Hockey Association of Odisha (Satish Munda 5-FG, 21-FG, 30- FG, 55- FG, Deonath Nanwar 29- FG, 39- FG, 42-PS, Deepak Pradhan 15- FG, 51- FG, Pratap Toppo 26- FG, 36- FG, Karan Lakra 38-FG, Pradip Mandal 41- FG) beat Assam Hockey 13-0. PoM: Karan Lakra.
13 September 2024 (League match): Hockey Association of Odisha (Pratap Toppo 8-FG, 54-FG, Wilson Xaxa 18-PC, Karan Lakra 23-FG, Premdayal Giri 32-FG, Deepak Pradhan 37-FG, 38-FG, Deonath Nanwar 47-FG) beat Hockey Arunachal 8-0. PoM: Karan Lakra.
15 September 2024 (League match): Hockey Association of Odisha (Jasman Munda 15-PC, Abhisek Topno 27-FG, Karan Lakra 27-FG, 50-FG, Deepak Pradhan 60-FG) beat Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey (Deepak 44-FG, Anmol Ekka 46-PC) 5-2. PoM: Vivek Lakra (Odisha).
16 September 2024 (Quarterfinal): Hockey Association of Odisha (Karan Lakra 14-FG, 53-PC, Arbin Toppo 35-FG) lost to Hockey Punjab (Ujwal Singh 17-PC, 46-PC, Harshdeep Singh 19-FG) 3-4 in shootout (Full time 3-3 draw). Shootout scorers: Pratap Toppo, Deonath Nanwar, Deepak Pradhan (all Odisha); Ujwal Singh, Om Rajnesh Saini, Sukhwinder Singh, Ujwal Singh (all Punjab).
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PHOTO: Players and officials of Odisha team pose at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar before leaving for Punjab to compete in the 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship in Jalandhar.