Jhansi, April 16 (IANS) Hockey Punjab lifted the title in the Senior Men’s National Championship 2025 as they defeated Hockey Madhya Pradesh 4-1 in the final in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Jugraj Singh was in top form for Hockey Punjab, having finished the tournament as the second-highest goalscorer with five goals, and even recorded a crucial brace in the final. Young sensation Araijeet Singh Hundal also played a crucial role in the attack and claimed three goals to his name.
Hockey Punjab won the tournament in 2023. However, in the last edition, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Hockey Maharashtra. This time, led by captain Hardik Singh and coach Rajinder Singh, Hockey Punjab have claimed the championship again.
Punjab finished second in Division 1, Pool A standings, three points behind Hockey Madhya Pradesh, who dealt them their only defeat in the tournament. In the quarterfinals, Hockey Punjab earned a 3-2 win over Hockey Haryana, followed by a 4-3 victory against Uttar Pradesh Hockey in the semifinal.
Despite their earlier loss, Hockey Punjab ensured they learned from their mistakes and defeated Hockey Madhya Pradesh comfortably in the final.
Reflecting on the tournament, coach Rajinder Singh stated, “It was a very good tournament for us, and we gave a solid performance overall. The loss against Hockey Madhya Pradesh was truly a turning point for us. We knew we were a strong side, but after that loss, we regrouped and ensured we didn’t take the rest of the matches lightly.”
Talking about the team’s strategy, Rajinder said, “Since we didn’t have a lot of time to train together before the tournament, I left it up to the players to naturally settle and play since we have a few national players in the squad. After the loss in the Pool stage, we changed our strategy a little and shifted from zonal marking to man-marking, which worked out better for us.”
In the final, Hockey Punjab conceded a goal first but made a brilliant comeback in the second half to seal the match. After the final, captain Hardik Singh said, “The plan was to attack from the start, and the boys executed well. Though I still feel we missed a couple of chances, we are extremely happy with the win. It’s always great to perform in the domestic circuit. Overall, the competition was good, and it feels good to win the gold medal.”
–IANS
bc/bsk/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
