Coimbatore, Aug. 6: Hockey Association of Odisha and Hockey Madhya Pradesh booked their places in the final of the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 (Division A) with convincing semifinal victories in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on Thursday.
In the opening semifinal, Odisha outclassed Hockey Punjab 6–4 in a thrilling encounter marked by attacking brilliance from both sides. Bilkan Oram emerged as the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick with goals in the 28th, 41st and 52nd minutes.
Odisha’s scoring was initiated by Alok Kujur in the 11th minute, while captain Deepak Pradhan added another in the 37th minute. Amit Kiro completed the tally with a goal in the 59th minute.
Punjab mounted a spirited challenge through Amandeep, who scored twice in the 7th and 42nd minutes, while Mandeep Singh (8th) and Ajaypal Singh (34th) also found the net. However, Odisha maintained its momentum to secure a 6–4 victory and advance to the title clash.
In the second semifinal, Hockey Madhya Pradesh defeated Hockey Jharkhand 2–0 in a closely contested match that remained goalless until the closing stages.
Rajveer Singh broke the deadlock in the 56th minute before Aashir Aadil Khan doubled the lead just two minutes later, sealing a deserved win and a berth in the championship final.
With the semifinal stage concluded, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh will lock horns in the final on August 8 to battle for the national title.
Earlier on the same day, Hockey Punjab and Hockey Jharkhand will face off in the third-place playoff as both teams look to end their campaigns on a winning note.
