Hockey
Senior Hockey Nationals 2024: Odisha clinch their first-ever gold medal
A comprehensive performance from Odisha saw them rout Haryana 5-1; Shilanand scored a brilliant second-half hat trick.
Team Odisha celebrating their 5-1 win against Haryana in the final. (Photo Credit: Special arrangement)
Chennai: The Hockey Association of Odisha clinched its first-ever gold medal at the Senior Men's Hockey Nationals, winning the final 5-1 against Haryana at Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, on Saturday.
Goals from Rajat Akash Tirkey, Pratap Lakra, and Shilanand Lakra sealed the tie for Odisha, as Haryana succumbs in the finals for the second successive time, having lost to Punjab last year.
The first quarter started slowly, with both teams putting caution first, but Rajat Akash made the most of a loose ball in the circle after Shilanand made a darting circle entry, putting Odisha 1-0 up.
Haryana did have its fair share of chances, especially from Penalty Corners, which squandered ten PCs.
The first half ended 1-0, but Odisha came out extremely strongly in the second half, and Haryana could not deal with their intensity or match it.
Soon enough, Pankaj illegally stopped Ajay Kumar's menacing circle entry, and the referee awarded a Penalty Stroke.
Pratap Lakra made no mistake in converting it, putting daylight between Odisha and Haryana.
Shilanand then made it 3-0 with a wonderful strike and drew curtains on the match but Haryana did get a lifeline back from the PC, Joginder Singh finally converting Haryana's 10th PC.
Shilanand then made it impossible for a comeback, scoring two more times and completing a wonderful hattrick, his second and third goals all down to his brilliance.
This is Odisha's first gold medal in their first final appearance, and their coach Dilip Kumar was a happy man.
"This is a historic first for Odisha, I am proud of the players, We marked them well and defended the aerial balls very well and our attacking quality was excellent. We kept up the intensity from the beginning till the end," he said, talking to reporters after the match.
Uttar Pradesh wins bronze medal
Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh won the third-place match against Manipur and sealed the bronze medal, winning 2-1.
Lalit Kumar Upadhyay gave UP the lead in the sixth minute and Manipur were unable to get past the UP defense, until the 43rd minute when Rabichandra Singh equalized from a PC.
However, Rajkumar Pal gave UP the lead back six minutes from time and Manipur were unable to get the decisive equalizing goal in the remaining time.
