Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway claimed the first Championship title of the Hockey Association of Odisha Senior Men Hockey Championships 2022 by beating Khordha 1-0 in a closely contested final match.
SAIL Academy won the bronze medal by beating Sundargarh 3-2 in the 3rd/4th place match.
Over 500 players from districts, academies, and institutions participated in the championship making it one of the most successful state-level hockey competitions to be organized.
The final day also saw the distribution of some individual awards.
1. Best Goalkeeper – Dilip Kumar Sa, Khordha
2. Best Defender – Kerobin Lakra, SAIL
3. Best Mid-Fielder – Biju Ekka, Sundargarh
4. Best Forward – Sunil Toppo, East Coast Railway
5. Player of the Tournament – Roshan Kujur
Speaking on the Finals result, Chairman of Hockey Promotion Council, Dilip Tirkey said, “Congratulations to East Coast Railways for becoming the first champions of the Hockey Association of Odisha Senior Men Hockey Championships. I hope their victory can inspire many more youngsters to take up the game. We will continue to host such tournaments that can enable players to showcase their talent and help develop the game.”
“I would like to thank the Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha for their support and guidance without which this tournament would not have been possible. I would also like to like Achyutha Samanta, MP, Founder, KIIT University for being such a gracious host and for providing the best facilities for the comfortable stay of the players during the tournament. It is the support of such stakeholders that has enabled the Hockey Association of Odisha to conduct one of the best State Level tournaments in hockey to date.”
The selected players from the tournament will be called for a State Hockey Camp that would make up the Odisha State team competing in the Hockey India National Championships in 2023.
