Odisha Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams Secure Semi-Finals berth at Khelo India Youth Games 2023

~ Men’s team topped their Pool, while Women’s finished second to advance to the Semi-finals ~

Chennai, 24 January 2024: Both Odisha Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams have secured their spots in the Semi-Finals of the 6th Khelo India Youth Games 2023 in Chennai.

The women’s team registered a 5-1 win against Jharkhand, followed by a 3-2 win over Punjab and a narrow 1-2 loss against Haryana to finish second in Pool B of the competition.

Meanwhile, the Men’s Team registered three wins in three Pool A matches. They started their campaign with a 6-1 win against Tamil Nadu, went on to beat Madhya Pradesh 2-1, and Punjab 5-1, respectively, to finish on top of Pool A.

Sharing his thoughts on both teams’ campaigns so far, David John, Director of Hockey Odisha, said, “I’m really happy with the performances of both the teams so far in the tournament. The first target of qualifying for the knockouts has been achieved, now the focus is on making the most out of the last two matches. We have the best chances to finish on the podium, but the key will be to keep the momentum going.”

“These are very young players, and they are getting valuable experience in what is a very competitive set-up. We’ve crossed the hurdle of the pool stage that had strong teams; now onto the next one,” he added.

In the Semi-finals, the Women’s team will take on Madhya Pradesh, who finished on top of Pool A. The Men’s team will face the losing team of the last Pool B match between Haryana and Jharkhand.