COIMBATORE (Tamil Nadu), Aug. 3: Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Karnataka and Hockey Madhya Pradesh registered crucial victories on the seventh day of the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026, while Manipur Hockey and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in Division ‘A’ matches at the Coimbatore Hockey Ground on Monday.
Jharkhand produced a spirited performance to defeat Delhi Hockey 4-3 in a closely fought contest. Sabian Kiro starred with a brace, opening the scoring early before adding his second in the third quarter. Sujeet Kerketta and Ghuran Lohra also found the net for Jharkhand.
Delhi Hockey fought back through Prabhjot Singh and a late double from Nishant, but Jharkhand held firm to secure all three points in the seven-goal encounter.
Earlier in the day, Hockey Karnataka overcame Hockey Bengal 4-3 in another high-scoring match. Pradip Mandal scored twice for Karnataka, while Nitesh Sharma and Achaiah MM added one goal each. Hockey Bengal replied through Suraj Kumar Sah, Rasin Aind and Abed Lugun, but fell just short despite a late surge.
The day’s most dramatic encounter saw Manipur Hockey and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey settle for a 4-4 draw. Manipur appeared to be in control after goals from Ricky Tonjam, Amarjit Singh Ningombam and a brace by Yumkham Bidyananda Singh.
However, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu mounted an impressive comeback in the final quarter, with Moohamed Jaeed, Sumit Rajbhar, Sami Rizwan and Himanshu Yadav all scoring to rescue a point.
In the final Division ‘A’ fixture of the day, Hockey Madhya Pradesh outclassed Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 4-0. Rajveer Singh led the charge with two goals, while Navin Ekka and Sohil Ali also found the scoresheet to complete a dominant victory.
Among the standout performers on Day 7 were Sabian Kiro (Jharkhand), Pradip Mandal (Karnataka), Rajveer Singh (Madhya Pradesh), Yumkham Bidyananda Singh (Manipur) and Nishant (Delhi Hockey), all of whom scored two goals for their respective teams.
In the remaining Division ‘A’ results from Day 6, the Hockey Association of Odisha defeated Manipur Hockey 4-1, with Lelsan Minz scoring a brace, while Hockey Haryana and Hockey Madhya Pradesh played out a 2-2 draw.
The latest round of results has intensified the competition in Division ‘A’ as teams continue their battle for supremacy in the prestigious national championship.
