The National Women’s Hockey League 2024 (Phase 1) witnessed a series of captivating matches on Saturday, resulting in victories for Haryana and Madhya Pradesh over Bengal and Maharashtra, respectively.
In a tense and closely contested match, Haryana secured a 4-3 victory against Bengal, marking their third consecutive win. The game commenced with Bengal taking an early lead through Silbiya Nag’s successful penalty corner conversion in the 2nd minute. Selestina Horo extended their lead with another penalty corner conversion in the 19th minute. However, Haryana’s captain Neelam and Nandni turned the tide by converting penalty corners in the 20th and 41st minutes, levelling the scores. Shashi Khasa and Pinki further solidified Haryana’s lead with a penalty corner conversion and a field goal in the final quarter, ultimately securing the 4-3 victory despite Shanti Horo’s late goal for Bengal in the 51st minute.
In the second match of the day, Madhya Pradesh triumphed over Maharashtra with a 2-1 win. Following a goalless first half, Aanchal Sahu broke the deadlock in the 45th minute, granting Madhya Pradesh the lead. Maharashtra’s captain Ashwini Kolekar equalized with a field goal in the 50th minute, but Swati swiftly restored Madhya Pradesh’s lead with a field goal in the 54th minute. The Madhya Pradesh team then displayed a resolute defensive performance to maintain their lead until the final whistle.
The upcoming matches will showcase Mizoram against Manipur and Jharkhand against Odisha. Undoubtedly, this is an exhilarating period for women’s hockey in India, with the National Women’s Hockey League serving as a testament to the extraordinary talent and competitive spirit of the teams.
ThePrint wishes to acknowledge that this report has been sourced from the PTI news service, and therefore, ThePrint does not assume responsibility for the accuracy and authenticity of the content.