Sr Men's Hockey Nationals: Odisha, Chhattisgarh Win Big; Jony Kumar's Hat-trick Propels Bihar

Sr Mens Hockey Nationals: Odisha, Chhattisgarh win big; Jony Kumars hat-trick propels Bihar (Odisha, Chhattisgarh win big; Jony Kumars hat-trick propels Bihar in 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2026 in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. Photo credit: Hockey India)

Hockey India Senior Men National:  Two big wins in Division ‘B’ Pool A, a comeback in Pool B and a second straight hat-trick for Bihar by Jony Kumar in Division ‘C’ marked Day 4 of the 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2026 in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

In Division ‘B’, Hockey Association of Odisha outplayed Assam for a big win, while Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey and Hockey Arunachal also registered wins in the round-robin phase.

Hockey Association of Odisha thrashed Assam Hockey 10-1 in a Pool A match on Tuesday. Odisha led 4-0 at half-time through Deepak Minz’s penalty corner (9'), two field goals from Ritik Lakra (13', 20') and a field goal from Prasad Kujur (27'). They scored four more in the third quarter. Ajay Ekka (37') and Sudeep Chirmako (42') scored field goals, and Anmol Ekka converted penalty corners in the 39th, 43rd and 51st minutes for a hat-trick.

Rupchand Boro scored Assam’s only goal from a penalty corner in the 40th minute. Deepak Minz completed the scoring with a field goal in the 58th minute. Odisha have won all three of their matches, scoring 37 goals while conceding two.

In another match in the same pool, Hockey Uttarakhand slumped to a 1-12 defeat to Chhattisgarh Hockey. Chhattisgarh scored three times in the first quarter and led 5-0 at the end of the first half. Captain Sandeep Kumar scored four times (9', 17', 32', 55'), and Sonu Nishad scored a hat-trick (6', 29', 35'). Tarun Yadav scored twice (15', 54'), and Shailendra Verma (37'), Shadab Ahmed Khan (40') and Arjun Yadav (41') also scored. Priyanshu pulled one back for Uttarakhand with a penalty corner in the 32nd minute. Chhattisgarh have now scored 22 goals in three matches.

In Pool B, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey overcame Telangana Hockey 2-0. Sunil Yadav gave DNH&DD the lead with a penalty corner in the 6th minute. Nagendra Kumar sealed the win with a field goal in the 53rd minute. DNH&DD have won all three of their matches. Telangana are yet to win after a loss and a draw earlier.

Also in Pool B, Goans Hockey went down 3-4 to Hockey Arunachal. Goa led 3-1 early on through Akhtar Ali (4'), Tejas Chavan (19') and a penalty corner from Govind Yadav (24'). Arunachal had pulled one back through Shivam Singh (22'), and Manoj Yadav’s penalty corner (26') made it 3-2. Captain Abhinav Singh levelled with a field goal in the 43rd minute. Manoj Yadav scored the winner from another penalty corner in the 50th minute. It was Arunachal’s second win in three matches, and Goa have lost all three of their matches.

In Division ‘C’, Hockey Rajasthan and Bihar won their respective pool matches.

Hockey Rajasthan prevailed 5-3 over Hockey Andhra Pradesh in a Pool B match. Anurag Suthar put Rajasthan ahead in the 5th minute, and Nadiminti Akhil levelled in the 15th. Ankit Rawat’s penalty corner (23') restored the lead, and Shaik Mohammad Rafi equalised again in the 33rd. Suthar’s penalty corner (37') gave Rajasthan a 3-2 lead, and Rawat scored again in the 55th minute. Metta Sai Kumar reduced the margin in the 56th, but Kunal Koundal sealed the win in the 59th. Rajasthan have won all three of their matches.

In Division ‘C’, Hockey Rajasthan and Bihar won their respective pool matches.

Article Source: IANS