Player Karan Sahu Named Man of the Match; Junior Girls’ Team Finishes Fourth
Published on: August 12, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
The 15th Hockey India Junior Men’s National Championship 2025, being held from August 12 to 23 in Jalandhar, Punjab, saw a spectacular start from the Chhattisgarh junior boys’ hockey team as they crushed Goa with a commanding 5–1 victory.
President of the Chhattisgarh Hockey Association, Firoz Ansari, informed that 30 teams from across the country are participating in this prestigious tournament. In their opening match, the Chhattisgarh boys showcased aggressive and skillful play. Team captain Mohit Nayak scored two goals, while Ritik Yadav, Sumit Minj, and Om Yadav contributed one goal each.
For his outstanding performance in today’s match, Karan Sahu was honoured with the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Association Secretary Manish Srivastava shared that the state team was selected after a training camp held at the International Hockey Stadium in Rajnandgaon. Talented players from various districts participated in the camp, with the top 18 selected for the nationals.
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The selected squad includes: Alfaz Khan, Sumit Minj, Vivek Yadav, Ritik Yadav, Avinash Ekka, Prince Bhagat, Om Yadav, Karan Kumar Sahu, Anand Suryavanshi, Mohit Nayak, Avi Manikpuri, Vivek Bek, Manas Patel, Chaman Nishad, Ashwin Kujur, Lavi Manikpuri, Robit Ekka, and Rahul Kumar. The coaching staff comprises head coach Dipesh Chaubey, team manager Amitabh Manikpuri, and assistant coach Anuraj Srivastava.
Meanwhile, at the 15th National Junior Women’s Championship in Kakinada, the Chhattisgarh girls’ team put up an impressive performance to finish in fourth place. In the third-place playoff, they lost 2–0 to Uttar Pradesh despite a spirited effort. Earlier, they had defeated Karnataka 6–1 to enter the quarter-finals, edged past Hockey Madhya Pradesh 2–1 in a penalty shootout in the quarters, but were defeated by Haryana in the semi-finals.
The strong showings by both teams have been widely appreciated by sports enthusiasts and hockey fans in Chhattisgarh, who have congratulated the players and coaching staff on their achievements.
