Rajgir, April 11 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh will face Uttar Pradesh in the men’s final, while the girls from the state will meet Jharkhand in the women’s final in the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior National Championship 2026 in Rajgir, Bihar, which has reached its climax, setting the stage for an exciting day of finals in Division A.
The battle for third place in the women’s category will see Hockey Odisha face Uttar Pradesh Hockey. In the men’s third-place clash, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey will play Hockey Punjab. The final day of fixtures will take place on April 12 at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Rajgir.
In the men’s final, both teams enter the contest undefeated, following impressive victories in the semifinals. Hockey Madhya Pradesh defeated Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 4-2, while Uttar Pradesh overcame last year’s champions Punjab by a 6-2 margin. This year’s men’s final also marks a rematch of last year’s third-place encounter, where Uttar Pradesh Hockey secured the win.
Notably, the division’s top two scorers represent Uttar Pradesh Hockey. Shahrukh Ali leads the charts with 14 goals, while Nitish Yadav has registered seven goals, all coming from penalty corners.
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey’s Dhiraj Pal is also among the leading scorers who will be in action, with five goals to his name.
The women’s final promises to be an exciting contest, with defending champions Hockey Jharkhand and Hockey Madhya Pradesh emerging as the top-scoring teams in the division, with 19 and 18 goals respectively. Hockey Jharkhand defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey 2-0 in their semi-final, while Hockey Madhya Pradesh edged past Hockey Odisha 2-1.
Hockey Madhya Pradesh boasts the division’s leading scorer in Nousheen Naz, who has netted nine goals so far. Hockey Jharkhand’s Sandeepa Kumari follows with five goals.
The preliminary round matches in the Men's competition till the semifinal stage were held in Rajgir, while the preliminary round matches in the Women's sections were played in Ranchi.
--IANS
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