Jr Women National Hockey C’ship: Haryana, Jharkand reach finals

Bhopal: Haryana cemented their spot in the finals of the 8th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2018 (A Division) after they brushed aside Uttar Pradesh 5-0 in their last-four clash here on Friday.

In the first semi-final clash of the day, Haryana scored four goals in the first half to take a comprehensive lead.

Deepika opened the account for the winners in the third minute. In the ninth minute, Amrinder Kaur doubled the lead. Reet scored two goals through penalty corners in a space of five minutes for Haryana as the first half ended at 4-0. Skipper Navneet Kaur’s 43rd minute goal was the last of the match, the one that sealed the deal for her side at 5-0.

In the second semi-final clash, Gangpur-Odisha lost to Jharkhand 0-2. The winners dominated right from the start and were superior with their defence as they ensured Gangpur-Odisha scored no goal in the match.

In-form Salima Tete, who recently took part in the Youth Olympic Games Qualifiers in Bangkok where India finished second, scored the first goal for Jharkhand in the 17th minute. Pinkki Ekka scored the second goal in the 60th minute to ensure Jharkhand made it to the finals of the tournament.

ANI