Hockey India Senior Women National: The stage is set for the much-awaited 15th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2025 Final as defending champions Hockey Haryana face Hockey Jharkhand on Wednesday at the Tau Devi Lal Hockey Stadium in Panchkula, Haryana.
The new format saw teams compete in three separate divisions with Division ‘A’ being the only one with a knockout stage. After four well-fought matches by both sides, Hockey Jharkhand and Hockey Haryana remain the tournament’s top two teams.
It has been smooth sailing for last year’s champions, Hockey Haryana, so far as they have cruised through the tournament with big wins and have only conceded once in four matches. They opened their campaign with a 5-1 win over Hockey Karnataka and followed it with a 3-0 victory over Hockey Association of Odisha in the pool stage.
The quarterfinal match against Hockey Punjab was their toughest challenge in the tournament so far since they won the game with a narrow scoreline of 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Mahima Choudhary. It was again a comfortable outing for Hockey Haryana in the semi-final with a commanding 4-0 win over Hockey Mizoram. With three goals to her name, captain Rani has been a standout player for Hockey Haryana and has led her side well from the front.
Hockey Jharkhand started the tournament on a dominant note with a big 9-2 win over Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu. They then defeated Hockey Mizoram in the Pool stage and Hockey Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-final with a solid scoreline of 3-1. It was in the semi-final match that the squad was put to a test against Hockey Maharashtra, which was also in roaring form. Despite four quarters of end-to-end action, neither side could find the net in regulation time. The match went on to a shootout which Hockey Jharkhand won 3-2 to seal their spot in the final.
Goalkeeper Anjali Bhinjia did a fantastic job to deny three of Hockey Maharashtra’s players in the shootout to help her side emerge victorious. With four goals, Albela Rani Toppo is the second-highest goalscorer of the tournament so far and will be eyeing to increase her tally on the big day.
Reflecting upon the tournament so far, Hockey Haryana coach Azad Malik stated, “I wasn’t very happy with the way we started the tournament since we had issues in some departments, however, the team did brilliantly in the Semi-Final and I wanted to see this surge in momentum ahead of the final. Our goal as a team is to play aggressive attacking hockey no matter which team we face. Hockey Jharkhand is a very good team and we are excited for the final match.”
Hockey Jharkhand coach Sudhir Golla too seemed confident about his side and said, “The tournament has been exciting so far, with plenty of challenges and great performances. The team has shown strong determination, and I’m really happy with the way they’ve been playing. In the final, Haryana are strong opponents with talented players, and we respect the challenge they bring. Our team is well-prepared and confident. We’ve worked hard to reach this stage, and the players are ready to give their best.”
Reflecting upon the tournament so far, Hockey Haryana coach Azad Malik stated, “I wasn’t very happy with the way we started the tournament since we had issues in some departments, however, the team did brilliantly in the Semi-Final and I wanted to see this surge in momentum ahead of the final. Our goal as a team is to play aggressive attacking hockey no matter which team we face. Hockey Jharkhand is a very good team and we are excited for the final match.”
Article Source: IANS
