CHENNAI — Punjab clinched the 15th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship title on Friday, edging past Jharkhand 4-3 in a thrilling final.
The closely fought contest saw Jharkhand take an early advantage in the second quarter with quick goals from Ashish Tani Purti (21st) and Anish Dungdung (24th). Punjab responded swiftly as Akshit Salaria (29th) and Varinder Singh (30th) levelled the score before halftime.
Jharkhand regained the lead in the 42nd minute through Sukhu Guria, but Punjab’s Mandeep Singh turned the tide with a decisive brace in the 45th and 53rd minutes, sealing the championship for his team.
In the bronze medal match earlier, Uttar Pradesh defeated Madhya Pradesh 5-3.
