Haryana, UP, Odisha, Punjab Enter Junior Men Hockey Semifinals

Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Punjab stormed into the semifinals of the 15th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship with hard-fought victories on Wednesday.

In the opening quarterfinal, Hockey Haryana edged past Hockey Karnataka 3-2 in a thrilling contest. Navraj Singh (6’), Sachin (22’) and Chirag (59’) struck for Haryana, while Nitesh Sharma (28’) and Sampan Ganapathy B.P (43’) netted goals for Karnataka.

The remaining quarterfinals saw Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and hosts Punjab register wins to complete the last-four line-up. The semifinals will be played later this week.

Officials said the championship has witnessed high-intensity matches with promising young players showcasing skills that reflect the strong grassroots talent pool in Indian hockey.