Four Teams Secure Spots in Junior Women’s Hockey Quarter‑Finals

In Pune’s Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium, the pool stage of the 2026 Junior Women’s Hockey National Championship concluded with Chandigarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Manipur booking quarter‑final berths. Chandigarh topped its Pool A encounter by beating Punjab 3‑1, with goals early in the second half. Odisha recorded a 6‑0 rout of Bengal in Pool B, driven by Dhrupti Naik’s double and goals from Ajita Ekka, Ekka Sonali, Binati Minj and Bholi Doli. Madhya Pradesh’s 6‑0 demolition of Himachal in Pool D featured a hat‑trick from Kajal and supporting strikes from Tanvi, Mitali Sharma and Kudrat. Manipur’s 3‑2 win over Maharashtra in Pool C was sealed by Sallu Pukhrambam’s three goals, while Ruby Rathore and Tanisha Shinde scored for the hosts. Pool standings placed Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh at the tops of their groups, setting up quarter‑final pairings that include Jharkhand‑Odisha, Madhya Pradesh‑Manipur, Haryana‑Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh‑Chhattisgarh.