Punjab Hockey League U-21 Phase II Kicks Off with Thrilling Wins
The excitement is building in Jalandhar, Punjab, as Phase II of the second edition of the Punjab Hockey League (U-21) got underway at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium. Top teams Roundglass Hockey Academy (RGHA) and Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence (SAI Sonipat) kept their strong form alive, holding the first and second spots on the points table. RGHA stays unbeaten, while SAI Sonipat stays close behind, as per the latest update from the Hockey Premier League.
In the opening match, SDAT Hockey Academy from Tamil Nadu grabbed a solid 3-1 win over the bottom-ranked Ghumanhera Risers Hockey Academy from New Delhi. This victory boosted SDAT’s points to 10 in the league standings. S. Vishal scored first in the seventh minute to put SDAT ahead. S. Krishnan doubled the lead with a penalty stroke in the second quarter. Ghumanhera pulled one back through Kunal Singh Chhikara, but M. Sugumar sealed the deal with a goal in the final quarter, giving SDAT a comfortable edge.
The second game saw SAI Sonipat take control early, racing to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter with strikes from Navraj Singh and Srijan Yadav. Naval Tata Hockey Academy from Jamshedpur fought back hard, leveling the score at 2-2 with goals from Ashish Tani Purti and Premchand Soy. But SAI Sonipat struck twice more—Hargun Singh from a penalty stroke and Harpal Singh with a field goal—to clinch a 4-2 win and hold onto second place.
Roundglass Hockey Academy faced a tough battle but squeezed out a 2-1 victory against Namdhari Hockey Academy in a nail-biter. The first half ended goalless, but Namdhari went ahead just two minutes into the second half when Gurpreet Singh converted a penalty corner. RGHA equalized seven minutes later with Japnit Singh’s penalty corner goal. As the match headed toward a potential shootout, Gursewak Singh scored the winner in the 58th minute, marking RGHA’s seventh league win and keeping their unbeaten streak intact.
The day’s final clash featured the home team, PIS Surjit Hockey Academy, who climbed to third place with a 2-1 triumph over SGPC Hockey Academy from Amritsar. Surjit took the lead in the 55th minute via Manroop Singh’s penalty corner conversion. Manmeet Singh added a second in the 59th minute to secure the three points. SGPC managed a late reply through Harmanreet Singh in the final minute, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback.
Organized together by Roundglass Hockey Academy and Hockey Punjab, the Punjab Hockey League focuses on giving young players from the grassroots level plenty of match experience. It plays a big role in boosting their skills for professional careers and personal growth. Fans are loving the action—stay tuned for more updates on this exciting U-21 hockey tournament!
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