Coimbatore,
Jharkhand stormed into the semi-finals of the 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Hockey Championship 2026 after edging past Uttar Pradesh 4-3 in a penalty shootout in a thrilling quarter-final on Wednesday.
The championship is being held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, from July 28 to August 8. Jharkhand’s victory marks the team’s return to the semi-finals of the junior national championship after a gap of nearly a decade.
The quarter-final produced a dramatic finish, with Jharkhand coming from behind to force the match into a shootout. Uttar Pradesh led 3-2 with just seconds remaining, but Nicholas Topno scored a field goal with only 25 seconds left on the clock to make it 3-3 and take the match to the penalty shootout.
Jharkhand took the lead in the 26th minute when Patras Hassa converted a penalty corner. Uttar Pradesh responded with a field goal in the 30th minute before taking a 2-1 lead through another field goal in the 33rd minute.
Jharkhand levelled the score in the 43rd minute after Gladson Bhengra converted a penalty corner. Uttar Pradesh again moved ahead in the 50th minute with another field goal to make it 3-2.
Jharkhand then mounted sustained pressure on the Uttar Pradesh defence. Despite determined resistance from the opposition, the Jharkhand players kept attacking until the final moments, with Nicholas finding the net in the dying seconds to force the shootout.
In the penalty shootout, Rohit Tirkey, Patras Hassa, Jolen Sanga and Ankit Ekka scored for Jharkhand, while Ganga Topno missed his attempt. Jharkhand goalkeeper Prince Sahu emerged as the hero, saving two attempts from Uttar Pradesh players to secure his team’s passage into the semi-finals.
Patras Hassa was adjudged Player of the Match for his impressive performance.
Jharkhand Bounce Back After Heavy Opening Defeat
Jharkhand had begun its campaign on a disappointing note, suffering a 3-12 defeat against Punjab in its opening match. However, the team quickly recovered, defeating Delhi 4-3 in its next match to qualify for the quarter-finals.
The team then produced a spirited performance against Uttar Pradesh to seal its place in the last four.
Jharkhand had last reached the semi-finals of the junior men’s national championship in 2016. On that occasion, the team had lost its opening match to Hockey Himachal before defeating Hockey Bhopal and Hockey Chhattisgarh to reach the semi-finals. The tournament did not have a quarter-final stage at the time.
Jharkhand Squad
The Jharkhand junior men’s team comprises Anmol Kongari, Ganga Topno, Tintus Hemrom, Patras Hassa, Sujit Kerketta, Sabian Kiro, Simon Dodray, Prince Sahu, Aman Tigga, Rohit Tirkey, Ghuran Lohra, Gladson Bhengra, Jolen Topno, Nicholas Topno, Ankit Ekka, Vijay Bhoi, Asim Ekka and Ankit Barwar.
The support staff includes head coach Vikas Joshi, team manager Sumit Batham, physiotherapist Saikat Bhattacharya and video analyst Satyajit Dabhi.
Celebrations Across Jharkhand
The team’s long-awaited return to the semi-finals triggered celebrations among hockey players and supporters across the state, particularly in Simdega, Ranchi and Jamshedpur.
Players watching the match at various locations celebrated wildly after the dramatic victory, with festivities including dancing and cheering. In Simdega, Hockey Simdega distributed sweets among players to mark the team’s success.
Officials and office-bearers of Hockey Jharkhand, including president Bholanath Singh, secretary-general Manoj Konbegi, treasurer Asrita Lakra and director-general Vijay Shankar Singh, along with other officials, district-level representatives and state sports department officials, congratulated the team and wished the players success in the semi-final.
