Hockey Senior Nationals 2024: Uttar Pradesh beats Tamil Nadu 3-1 in quarters

CHENNAI: The Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu (HUT) will need to go back to the drawing board and come back stronger after being defeated 3-1 by Uttar Pradesh (UP) in the quarter-final of the Senior Hockey Nationals, currently underway in Chennai.

HUT was on the backfoot from the very start. Chandan Singh successfully converted a penalty corner to give the visitors the lead in the third minute of the match. Skipper Selvam Karthi missed several half-chances, but there was a bright spot when UP's Manish Yadav was caught ball-watching. Karthi took advantage, dribbling past three players and taking a shot that rebounded, allowing Shanmugavel to slot it home for the equaliser. At the end of the first quarter, both teams were locked at 1-1

Two minutes into the second quarter, UP made another penalty corner opportunity count. Vishnukant Singh's injected ball was hit hard by Manish Yadav, and despite Senthamizh Arasu’s best efforts, the ball fell kindly to Sonkar Kumar, who scored to give UP the lead.

Four minutes into the third quarter, Shivam Anand made a brilliant run from the right and pulled the ball back to India International Lalit Upadhyay, who made no mistake in slotting it home, taking the match away from HUT.

We will bring in more youngsters: Charles Dixon

Tamil Nadu Head Coach Charles Dixon acknowledged the missed opportunities but praised his players for giving their best on the field. He also voiced that the team would feature new faces in the upcoming National Games in Uttarakhand in January. “I made a few changes to the squad, but they didn’t work. Going forward, I’ll bring in more youngsters, groom them, and they will likely feature in the squad for the National Games in January,” Dixon told media after the loss.

He also indicated that midfielders Shyam Kumar and Selvakumar might make way for new players, and there will be a preparatory camp for the National Games in December.

Defending Champion Punjab eliminated

Manipur Hockey defeated Hockey Punjab 3-3, (4-3 SO) in the first quarter-final earlier on Wednesday. Both teams were locked in a 3-3 draw during regulation time. Cyril Lagun (14’, 36’, 51’) scored a hat-trick for Manipur Hockey. For Hockey Punjab, Ravneet Singh (24’, 59’) and Maninder Singh (18’) were the goal scorers