12th HI Sub-Jr Women National ChampionshipManipur crash out with 4-1 loss to Jharkhand as Haryana, UP, Maharashtra secure quarter final berths

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 17 : Hosts Manipur suffered a league round exit in the 12th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship with a 4-1 loss in the hands of Jharkhand today in the crucial Pool B deciding match at Hockey Stadium Khuman Lampak.
In the penultimate Pool A league match, Haryana clinched a 7-0 win over Hockey Bengal thanks to a treble by Sejal and doubles from captain Saavi and Riya.
The Haryana girls dominated right from the beginning and took a 2-0 first quarter lead as Sejal struck the opener in the 4th minute and Saavi scored the second in the 9th minute.
Haryana continued to press hard on their rivals and it was Riya who chipped in two goals back to back in the 25th and 27th minutes to extend the lead to 4-0.
Savi then completed her double in the 29th minute to hand Haryana a 5-0 lead till halfway.
Sejal then scored the lone goal in the third quarter (41') before converting a penalty corner in the 56th minute to complete her treble and the 7-0 rout of Bengal.
The last Pool C match staged in the second ground, Uttar Pradesh brushed aside Chattisgarh 8-2 to consolidate their place at the top of the table and qualify for the quarter final.
Purnima Yadav took centre stage slamming home 5 goals alone (17', 20', 26', 55', 59') including the opener for Uttar Pradesh in this crucial league match while Kornal Pal (18'), Peetambari Kumari (30') and Vandana Patel (52') added a goal apiece.
Both the goals for Chhattisgarh were scored by Geeta Yadav in the 25th and the 49th minutes.
Elsewhere in the Pool D's decisive match, Madhaya Pradesh beat Odisha by a slender 1-0 margin to seal the quarter final berth thanks to Guungun Kaur 22 minute goal off a penalty corner.
Maharashtra in the meantime were declared 5-0 winners and emerged Pool E winners after Delhi forfeited the match.
In the clash for Pool B winners, Mutum Priya Devi broke the deadlock in the 30th minute after a barren first quarter to give Manipur a 1-0 lead till halfway but Jharkhand turned things around riding on doubles from Binima Dhan and Nisha Minj. Binima scored the equaliser in the 38th minute before Nisha Minj overturned the lead in the 45th minute.
Nisha Minj was at the target again in the 47th minute to further extend the lead before Binima Dhan completed the scoring in the 54th minute.