Hockey Junior Men’s Nationals: Rajasthan, Telangana, Puducherry Shine in Coimbatore

Coimbatore, July 2026 : Hockey Rajasthan, Telangana Hockey and Le Puducherry Hockey registered impressive victories in Division ‘C’, while Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Chandigarh recorded wins in Division ‘B’ on the second day of the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 at the Coimbatore Hockey Ground on Wednesday.

The day’s action in Division ‘C’ began with Hockey Rajasthan producing an attacking display to defeat Assam Hockey 11-3 in Pool A. Mohammad Ubaid Raza led the charge with a hat-trick, scoring in the 31st, 41st and 51st minutes. Himanshu Kumar Meena and Sandeep scored twice each, while Bisayati Azaj also contributed a brace. Naman Patel and captain Manvendra Gurjar completed the scoring for Rajasthan. Assam’s goals came from Suraj Thakur, who scored twice, and captain Amanat Ali.

In Pool B, Telangana Hockey defeated Hockey Gujarat 3-1 in a competitive encounter. Ganesh Ravula scored twice in the 13th and 55th minutes, while Piyush added another goal in the 49th minute. Divyeshbhai Rudhyabhai Wagh scored Gujarat’s only goal in the 42nd minute.

Le Puducherry Hockey then produced one of the day’s most dominant performances, blanking Tripura 7-0 in the same pool. Rithish opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Illamaran doubled the advantage four minutes later. Anbupathi scored twice in the 22nd and 25th minutes, while captain Mohannath, Gowtham and the Puducherry attack continued to put pressure on Tripura.

In Division ‘B’, Hockey Maharashtra and Hockey Jammu & Kashmir began Pool A with an entertaining 2-2 draw. Arjun Pandit gave Jammu & Kashmir the lead in the 30th minute before Laxman Chimnaji Metkar equalised for Maharashtra three minutes later. Krishna Viththal Rathod put Maharashtra ahead in the 53rd minute, but Harmanpreet Singh restored parity for Jammu & Kashmir in the 57th minute.

Hockey Uttarakhand enjoyed a convincing 5-0 victory over Hockey Himachal in the other Pool A fixture. Suraj Kumar opened the scoring in the 20th minute, while captain Sarthak Mahar struck twice in quick succession in the 53rd and 55th minutes. Vishal Kumar added two more goals in the 32nd and 57th minutes to complete a comprehensive victory.

In Pool B, Hockey Arunachal defeated Hockey Andhra Pradesh 8-2. Ali Jafar scored twice, while Sujeet Rajbhar also found the net twice. Samar Ali, Mridul Yadav, captain Pranjal Kumar Mishra and Shiva Savita added one goal each. Andhra Pradesh’s Ramesh Kurapati scored both of his team’s goals.

The day’s final match saw Hockey Chandigarh register a commanding 6-0 victory over Bihar. Rishav, Prabhjot Singh Saini and captain Gurpreet Singh put Chandigarh in control, with Gurpreet completing a hat-trick through goals in the 40th, 47th and 56th minutes. Dilavarpreet Singh added the sixth goal in the 60th minute to seal a convincing win.

The second day’s results highlighted the attacking quality and competitive depth on display across both divisions as teams continued their campaigns for honours in the national junior championship.

Team Maverick