Haryana and Punjab Advance to Semi-Finals of 2026 Hockey Championship
In a thrilling quarter-final round, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh secured their spots in the semi-finals of the 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship.
Haryana defeated Chandigarh 5-1 with a dominant performance.
Punjab edged past Maharashtra in a tense shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Madhya Pradesh scored five consecutive goals to overcome Bengal 5-3.
Jhansi hosted the quarter-finals of the 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship on October 18, 2026, where Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh triumphed to reach the semi-finals of Division ‘A’. The matches showcased intense competition and remarkable performances from the teams involved.
In the first quarter-final, Hockey Haryana displayed a commanding performance against Hockey Chandigarh, winning decisively with a score of 5-1. Manjeet opened the scoring in the 20th minute, followed by two quick goals from Harpal in the 26th and 28th minutes, leading to a comfortable 3-0 halftime advantage. Pankaj added a fourth goal early in the second half, while Chandigarh's lone goal came from Captain Singh in the 59th minute. Shubham sealed the match with a final goal in the last minute.
The second quarter-final saw Hockey Punjab face off against Hockey Maharashtra in a nail-biting encounter that ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to a shootout. Ujwal Singh scored for Punjab via a penalty stroke in the 7th minute, and Maharashtra equalized through Ravi Paresh Bharadia's penalty corner in the 49th minute. In the shootout, Punjab triumphed 5-4, with all their shooters converting their attempts, while Maharashtra's Ajinkya Jadhav had his shot saved by Punjab's goalkeeper, Paras Malhotra.
Hockey Madhya Pradesh turned the tables in their match against Hockey Bengal, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win 5-3. Bengal's Rohit Kujur scored twice, but Madhya Pradesh responded with five unanswered goals, including contributions from Captain Yousuf Affan and Arjun Sharma, who netted two goals. Kujur completed his hat-trick in the dying moments, but it was not enough to change the outcome.
The final quarter-final featured Uttar Pradesh Hockey, who defeated Manipur Hockey 4-2. Akash Pal was instrumental, scoring two goals, while Sumit Kumar added another. Manipur kept pace with goals from Suresh Sharma Adhikarimayum and Cyril Lugun, but a penalty stroke from Sharda Nand Tiwari in the 38th minute secured the victory for Uttar Pradesh. The semi-finals promise to be an exciting continuation of the championship.
