On Thursday, the 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship entered its sixth day in Jhansi, where Kerala staged a dramatic reversal to defeat Uttarakhand 6-5 and Odisha overwhelmed Chhattisgarh 8-1 in Division B matches.
Kerala opened the Pool A encounter with a quick strike from Muhammed Kaif in the fifth minute. Uttarakhand responded forcefully, netting five goals between the 35th and 43rd minutes, including two penalty corners by Mahendra Singh Bisht and a pair from Arpit Kumar Kohli. Shahanul Shafas pulled one back for Kerala at 44 minutes, but the tide turned in the final quarter when Viju Teswin, Sandeep Yadav (twice) and S Akhil scored in rapid succession, sealing a five‑goal burst that flipped the scoreline.
Odisha’s dominance unfolded in the same pool. Anmol Ekka converted five penalty corners before the half‑hour mark, giving Odisha a 5-0 lead. Aryan Xess added a field goal at the 26th minute, while Chhattisgarh’s captain Sandeep Kumar managed a lone strike at 42 minutes. Late goals from Sudeep Chirmako (45′ and 47′) completed an 8-1 rout, marking Chhattisgarh’s first defeat of the tournament.
Division A also produced notable results. Uttar Pradesh blanked Chandigarh 5-0 in Pool C, with Sharda Nand Tiwari scoring from a penalty corner and Ajeet Yadav completing a hat‑trick of field goals. Madhya Pradesh edged Le Puducherry 4-2 in Pool B, thanks to Arjun Sharma’s early field goal and a late surge that added two more scores.
Manipur secured a 5-2 victory over Delhi in Pool D, while Punjab and Bengal shared a 1-1 draw in Pool A. Jharkhand finished its Pool B clash with a 2-0 win over Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, the decisive goals arriving after the 40th minute.
Across the board, Odisha remains unbeaten, having amassed 45 goals while conceding only three in four matches. Kerala, after a 5-2 win over Assam on Day 5, now enjoys a two‑match winning streak, keeping its championship hopes alive.
Image: mangalorean.com
📰 Source: Mangalorean News