Sr men’s hockey nationals: M.P, Jharkhand and Chandigarh win as Manipur hold Bengal 3-3
Chennai: Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Jharkhand, and Hockey Chandigarh won their respective matches on the seventh day of the 13th Hockey India Senior Men’s National Championship 2023, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here on Thursday.
In a key match, Manipur Hockey held Hockey Bengal to a 3-3 draw.
In the first match of the day, Manipur surged to an early lead thanks to goals by Ningombam Jenjen Singh (2′) and Indian men’s hockey team midfielder Nilakanta Sharma, who doubled the advantage in the 25th minute.
Neupane Nitish’s brace in the 48th and 56th minutes, along with Rajendra Oram’s goal in the 56th minute, fueled Hockey Bengal’s late-game comeback.
Nilakanta Sharma converted a penalty stroke in the 60th minute of the game, rescuing a crucial point for Manipur Hockey and ensuring their progression to the next round of the tournament.
Hockey Madhya Pradesh defeated Hockey Jammu & Kashmir by 13-0 in the second game. The goalscorers for Hockey Madhya Pradesh were Mohd Nizamuddin (5’, 16’, 36’), Gladwin Shaun Glen (6’), Akshay Dubey (12’, 25’), Arjun Sharma (18’, 21’), Satyam Swamy (29’), Himanshu Sanik (46’), Sourabh Pashine (50’, 55’), and Swapnil Kawadkar (57’).
Hockey Jharkhand defeated Goans Hockey 3-0 in their Pool F match to qualify for the Quarter-Finals. Noyel Topno (25’, 56’) scored a brace while Denis Kerketta (9’) scored a goal as Hockey Jharkhand stormed into the Quarter-Finals after winning all their Pool matches.
The last match of the day witnessed Hockey Chandigarh defeat Hockey Andhra Pradesh by 6-2. Indian Men’s Hockey Team midfielder Maninder Singh (3’, 19’, 42’, 51’) made his mark on the game, scoring four goals for Hockey Chandigarh. He was assisted in his goal-scoring efforts with a quick brace from Singh Vishaljit (9’, 11’). Galla Siva Pramod (28’, 54’) scored the two goals for Hockey Andhra Pradesh.