CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, April 11: Hockey Jharkhand qualified for the quarter finals of the 12th Hockey India Senior Men’s Championship 2022 by defeating Jammu & Kashmir 5-0. The team registered their third consecutive win of the tournament by scoring two goals in the second quarter and three in the third.
Denis Kerketta from Jharkhand scored two goals in the 25th and 38th minute while Aniruddha Bhengra scored in the 23rd, Manohar Mundu in the 38th and Birsa Odia in the 44th minute.
Jharkhand had earlier defeated Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Dui 7-2, and Chandigarh 3-2.
Hockey Jharkhand President Bholanath Singh congratulated the team and said that the team has entered the quarter-finals in the Senior Nationals after a very long time. He added that the team should continue to perform with the same rhythm and make it to the semis.
Vice President of Hockey Jharkhand Manoj Konbegi said that six out of 18 players of the team had stayed at their homes, away from the training camp, and somehow practiced whenever they got a chance and yet made a place in the quarter finals. He considers it a big achievement.
“It is probably the first team from Jharkhand to reach the quarter-finals in the Senior Nationals and all players in the team are born in Jharkhand and are unemployed. Most of them have been working out in different states,” he added.
Jharkhand will face Maharashtra in the quarter-finals.
