Published: August 4, 2026 at 6:07 pm
Hockey Karnataka securing a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Hockey Bengal as the seventh day of the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 witnessed a series of exciting Division ‘A’ encounters at the Coimbatore Hockey Ground.
Hockey Jharkhand and Hockey Madhya Pradesh also registered important victories, while Manipur Hockey and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey shared the spoils in a thrilling draw.
The day began with Hockey Karnataka securing a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Hockey Bengal. After Suraj Kumar Sah (11′) handed Hockey Bengal the lead, Pradip Mandal restored parity with a goal just before halftime (30+’). Nitesh Sharma (38′) then put Hockey Karnataka ahead before Pradip Mandal struck again (51′). Achaiah MM (49′) also found the scoresheet for Hockey Karnataka. Hockey Bengal fought back late through Rasin Aind (58′) and Abed Lugun (60′), but Hockey Karnataka held on to claim all three points.
In another closely contested Division ‘A’ fixture, Hockey Jharkhand edged Delhi Hockey 4-3. Sabian Kiro gave Hockey Jharkhand an early lead in the 4th minute before Prabhjot Singh (40′) levelled the scores for Delhi Hockey. Sabian Kiro completed his brace (47′), while Sujeet Kerketta (48′) and Ghuran Lohra (58′) extended Hockey Jharkhand’s advantage. Delhi Hockey mounted a late comeback through Nishant, who scored twice (52′, 60′), but Hockey Jharkhand held firm to seal the victory.
The third match of the day saw Manipur Hockey and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey play out an entertaining 4-4 draw. Ricky Tonjam (33′) and Amarjit Singh Ningombam (37′) gave Manipur Hockey an early advantage before Yumkham Bidyananda Singh struck twice (47′, 52′). Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey responded with four goals in the final quarter through Moohamed Jaeed (45′), Sumit Rajbhar (50′), Sami Rizwan (53′) and Himanshu Yadav (55′) to earn a share of the points.
In the final Division ‘A’ fixture of the day, Hockey Madhya Pradesh registered a convincing 4-0 victory over Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu. Rajveer Singh starred with a brace (4′, 59′), while Navin Ekka (12′) and Sohil Ali (27′) also found the back of the net to complete a dominant performance.
Maharashtra thump Kerala 9-0
The sixth day of competitions began with Hockey Maharashtra registering a resounding 9-0 victory over Kerala Hockey in a Division ‘B’ encounter. Krishna Viththal Rathod starred with four goals (9′, 15′, 33′, 34′), while Randhawa Navjot Singh (22′, 40′) added a brace. Suraj Dipak Shukla (31′), Siddhant Shashikant Patil (55′) and Sarthak Avinash Wankhade (60’) also found the scoresheet to complete the emphatic win.
In another Division ‘B’ fixture, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir defeated Hockey Himachal 6-0. Pandit Arjun (26′, 56′) and Harmanpreet Singh (15′, 60′) scored two goals each, while Taranjot Singh (36′) and captain Tejpal Singh (54′) also contributed to the comprehensive victory.
Chhattisgarh Hockey then recorded a 3-1 win over Hockey Andhra Pradesh in Division ‘B’. Pritam Kujur netted a brace (19′, 52′), while Mohit Nayak (60′) added the third goal. Kalyan Ganja (41′) scored the lone goal for Hockey Andhra Pradesh.
In the last Division ‘B’ match of the day, Hockey Arunachal cruised to a convincing 7-0 victory over Bihar. Sonu Patel (17′, 43′) and Mohd Atif (53′, 53′) scored two goals each, while Sujeet Rajbhar (9′), Samar Ali (10′) and Pranjal Kumar Mishra (48′) also found the back of the net.
The Division ‘A’ fixtures began with Uttar Pradesh Hockey defeating Hockey Karnataka 3-1. Nitesh Sharma (13′) gave Hockey Karnataka the lead before Triloki Venvanshi (35′) equalised for Uttar Pradesh Hockey. Neeraj Prajapati (45′) and Ritesh Pandey (52′) added second-half goals to complete the comeback victory.
In the final Division ‘A’ match of the day, Hockey Punjab delivered a sensational attacking display to defeat Hockey Jharkhand 12-3. Mandeep Singh led the charge with four goals (23′, 24′, 43′, 48′), while Harshdeep Singh (2′, 14′) and Charanjeet Singh (22′, 55′) scored braces. Amandeep (16′), Prince Singh (19′), Om Rajnesh Saini (47′) and Jobanpreet Singh (57′) also got on the scoresheet. For Hockey Jharkhand, Hemrom Tintus (5′, 28′) scored twice, while Sabian Kiro (54′) added another.
In other matches on the sixth day. Hockey Association of Odisha defeated Manipur Hockey 4-1. Lelsan Minz led the scoring with a brace (13′, 44′), while Bilkan Oram (25′) and Mohan Krishna (41′) also scored. Harish Singh Leitanthem (38′) netted the lone goal for Manipur Hockey.
Meanwhile, Hockey Haryana and Hockey Madhya Pradesh played out a 2-2 draw. Sunil (C) (15′) and Ankush (27′) scored for Hockey Haryana, while Aashir Aadil Khan (30′) and Sohil Ali (48′) found the net for Hockey Madhya Pradesh.
In the final match of Day 5, Hockey Haryana defeated Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 2-1. Manjeet (28′) and Pankaj Sharma (56′) scored for Hockey Haryana, while Vishal S (33′) netted the lone goal for Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu.
