Bhopal/Bhubaneswar: May 15: Hockey Association of Odisha reached in Semi-Final of the 12th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2022. The top four teams placed in the semi-final of the 12th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2022, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh are Hockey Haryana, Hockey Karnataka, and Hockey Association of Odisha, and Hockey Jharkhand. They shall battle it out on Monday, 16 May, for a place in the Finals of the competition.
The first Semi-Final will witness Hockey Haryana and Hockey Karnataka square off against each other. Hockey Haryana will enter the contest after a hard-fought 0-0 (3-2 SO) win against Uttar Pradesh Hockey, in their Quarter Final match.
Speaking about the team’s Semi-Final match against Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Haryana Coach Kuldeep Siwach said, “Hockey Karnataka are a strong team. They defeated Hockey Punjab in a close contest to reach the Semi-Final. But we have also performed well in the tournament so far. We will stick to our basic strategy of holding possession and playing an attacking game in the Semi-Final to get a good result for us.”
On the other hand, Hockey Karnataka, won their closely-contested Quarter-Final match 1-1 (5-4 SO) against Hockey Punjab. “My team has done well and I am proud of them. We cannot be complacent as we will be facing a competitive team like Hockey Haryana, who have always been among the top four. We are not focusing too much on Hockey Haryana at this moment rather we are focusing on keeping our basics right. We are looking forward to the challenge,” said Hockey Karnataka Coach Verghese Kallikkadan John ahead of their Semi-Final match.
In the second Semi-Final, the Hockey Association of Odisha will be up against Hockey Jharkhand. The Hockey Association of Odisha are coming off a thrilling 1-1 (0-2 SO) win against Hockey Madhya Pradesh in the Quarter-Final.
Hockey Association of Odisha Coach Edgar Joseph Mascarenhas said, “We will not take Hockey Jharkhand lightly. Hockey Jharkhand is a fit team, and so are we. All the teams have had a hard-fought Quarter-Finals. Our girls too gave their all in the Quarter-Final match, which went to the wire. We are preparing ourselves and getting ready for the Semi-Final. We will play to our strengths and do our best.”
Meanwhile, Hockey Jharkhand registered a stunning 0-0 (4-5 SO) win over Hockey Maharashtra in their Quarter-Final match, and will now look to keep the momentum going in the Semi-Final to seal a spot in the Final of the tournament.
Ahead of their Semi-Final game, Hockey Jharkhand Team Manager Pratima Tirkey said, “Our girls have performed well so far. We have a good team but we need to take it to the next level in the Semi-Final match against Hockey Association of Odisha, who are also a very strong team. Both the teams are at par with each other and fought hard to reach the Semi-Final. It will be an interesting match.”
