The 2nd edition of Odisha Naval Tata Hockey Grassroot League concluded on August 20, with Gurundia and Subdega being crowned as champions of girls’ and boys’ categories, respectively.
Notably, the tournament was held in two phases. The first phase was held earlier this year where 14 Grassroot Centres of Odisha Naval Tata Hockey HPC participated, witnessing more than 500 players.
Out of them, the top 8 teams in both categories, featuring around 250 players, qualified for the final phase, which were as follows: Dhenkanal, Purnapani, Dantri, Kadobahal, Kahupani, Subdega, Gurundia and Majhapara. The final phase of the tournament was held from August 17-20 at Kalinga Stadium.
In the girls category, Gurundia clinched the trophy after defeating Kahupani 2-1 in the final. Meanwhile, Subdega took home the third place after securing a 2-1 win over Purnapani in the bronze medal match.
Results (Final Phase) – Girls
| Category | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| QF 1 | Dhenkanal | 0 – 5 | Purunapani |
| QF 2 | Dantri | 0 – 8 | Kahupani |
| QF 3 | Majhapara | 0 – 3 | Subdega |
| QF 4 | Gurundia | 4 – 0 | Kadobahal |
| SF 1 | Purnapani | 0 – 1 | Kahupani |
| SF 2 | Subdega | 1 – 3 | Gurundia |
| 3/4 Place | Purnapani | 1 – 2 | Subdega |
| Final | Kahupani | 2 – 1 | Gurundia |
In the boys category, Subdega clinched the trophy after defeating Dhenkanal 3-1 in the final. Meanwhile, Gurundia finished at third place following their 2-0 win over Kadobahal in the bronze medal match.
Results (Final Phase) – Boys
| Category | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| QF 1 | Dhenkanal | 2 – 0 | Purunapani |
| QF 2 | Dantri | 2(0) – 2(2) | Kadobahal |
| QF 3 | Kahupani | 1(0) – 1(3) | Subdega |
| QF 4 | Gurundia | 3 – 0 | Majhapara |
| SF 1 | Dhenkanal | 3 – 2 | Kadobahal |
| SF 2 | Subdega | 2(3) – 2(2) | Gurundia |
| 3/4 Place | Kadobahal | 0 – 2 | Gurundia |
| Final | Dhenkanal | 1 – 3 | Subdega |
Reflecting on the success of the tournament, Sri Rajiv Seth, Project Director, ONTH-HPC, said, “With the kind of enthusiasm I saw among the players during the tournament, I believe sky is the limit for Odisha Naval Tata Hockey Grassroots League going forward. The vision of honourable Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik is that Hockey should be promoted to the best and that is what we all are working towards.”
Notably, Sri Dilip Tirkey, Chairman, Odisha Hockey Promotion Council, was the guest of honor during the ceremony. He said, “I want to congratulate all the players who took part in the tournament as they are the future of Odisha and India in Hockey. Not only Sundargarh, today we have centres in different parts of the state like Sambalpur, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Chatrapur etc. I want everyone to keep practising and keep working on fitness and I am sure you will get many more opportunities in future.”
During the closing ceremony, a number of awards were given to players and teams across different categories. Here is the list of prizes:
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LIST OF AWARDS |
RECIPIENT OF AWARDS |
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·Player of the Match – Final Girls & Boys |
Aliva Jate (Girls) – Gurundia |
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Ranjan Lakra (Boys) – Subdega |
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·Best Goalkeeper Girls & Boys |
Priyansi Minz (Girls) – Gurundia |
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Sanjay Lakra (Boys) – Kadobahal |
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· Best Goal Scorer – Golden Stick Girls & Boys |
Monalisa Lakra (Girls) – Kahupani |
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Ritik Lakra (Boys) – Subdega |
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· Find of the Tournament: Girls & Boys |
Sanjana Kujur (Girls) – Purnapani |
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Bishal Kaitha (Boys) – Kadobahal |
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· Player of the Tournament: Girls & Boys |
Aliva Tete (Girls) – Gurundia |
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Arman Soreng (Boys) – Gurundia |
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· Fair play Team Trophy Girls & Boys |
Purnapani (Girls) |
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Kadobahal (Boys) |
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· 3rd Place – Bronze Medal Girls & Boys |
Subdega (Girls) |
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Gurundia (Boys) |
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· Runners-Up– Silver Medal Girls & Boys |
Kahupani (Girls) |
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Dhenkanal (Boys) |
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· Champions – Gold Medal Girls & Boys |
Gurundia (Girls) |
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Subdega (Boys) |
After the incredible success of 2nd edition, we hope that the 3rd edition of Odisha Naval Tata Hockey Grassroot League will take place soon, with hopefully lot more participation.