Jharkhand win 11th Sub-Junior Men's National Hockey title

Jharkhand beat Haryana 3-1 via penalty shootout to clinch the 11th Sub-Junior Men's National Championship hockey title here on Thursday.

 

 

The regulation time of 60 minutes ended in a goalless draw. Like his performance in the semi-final match against Uttar Pradesh, to Jharkhand goalkeeper Duga Munda emerged as the hero once again. He saved three of his opponents' attempts while Asim Ekka, Deepak Soreng and Roshan Reetik Lakra scored in the shootout for Jharkhand.

 

Jharkhand coach Adam Horo was delighted with the composure his side displayed in the final.

"I am proud of this team. It's a phenomenal achievement for all of us as we had very little time to train. Duga was once again outstanding in the shootout. What stood out was the boys' confidence," he said.

 

"We expected a tough game against Haryana. I was happy with the way the team played in the first three quarters. We lost a little bit of momentum in the final quarter but the boys kept their cool during the shootout. Jharkhand are champions for the first time. This win is a testament to the way we have worked with the tribal community over the years. I am sure they will bring many more laurels."

 

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh clinched third spot with a magnificent 23-0 win against Manipur.

Ankit Kumar Prajapati (7th minute, 14th, 30th, 47th, 49th, 55th) was the star of the show with a six-goal haul. Nitish Bhardwaj (12th, 13th, 34th, 42nd, 46th) smashed five goals whereas Fahad Khan (18th, 23rd, 26th) and Ajeet Yadav (8th, 10th, 50th) scored three goals each. Uttar Pradesh captain Chandan Yadav (5th, 36th) and Ajeet Kumar (52nd, 53rd) each scored two goals while Prashant Shukla (17th) and Abhishek Yadav (57th) scored a goal each.

--IANS

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