In Jalandhar, Punjab, two young hockey teams battled their way to the finals of the Punjab Hockey League U21 on Friday. The Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence from Sonipat beat PIS Surjit Hockey Academy 1-0, while the Naval Tata Hockey Academy from Jamshedpur topped Roundglass Hockey Academy by the same narrow score.
These thrilling semifinals took place at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium as part of the league’s second edition. Now, SAI Sonipat and Naval Tata will clash in the championship match on Saturday, with the losers facing off earlier for third place.
Fans have even more excitement ahead—an exhibition game featuring All Stars XI, led by Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh, against Legends XI with stars like Baljit Singh, Rupinderpal Singh, Rajpal Singh, and Jugraj Singh. It all happens at the same venue.
In the first semifinal, SAI Sonipat struck first. Ankur Ror deflected a long pass into the net just two minutes before halftime, giving his team a lead they held onto tight against the league-stage leaders.
Over in the second match, Naval Tata kept Roundglass on the defensive, shutting down their attacks with solid play. Ashish Tani Purti sealed the win in the 52nd minute, converting a penalty corner into the game-winner.
The action kicks off early: the third-place match at 9 a.m., the All Stars vs. Legends exhibition at 1 p.m., and the U21 finals at 3 p.m.
The Punjab Hockey League, run by Roundglass Hockey Academy and Hockey Punjab, focuses on giving grassroots players plenty of game time to boost their skills and careers in Indian hockey.
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