Rourkela, July 4: Hockey Odisha beat Tamil Nadu 4-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the 13th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship, here late on Monday.
The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium pulsed with excitement as goals from Prathiba Ekka (9’), Rambha Kujur (16’), Ashima Rout (29’) and Puja Sahoo (58’) secured Odisha’s place in the quarterfinals.
Proceedings kicked off with Odisha in the driver’s seat, dominating possession and moving the ball with a laser like precision. Pratibha Ekka (9’) continued her sublime form as she broke the deadlock early in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Hockey Odisha tripled their lead, with crucial goals from Rambha Kujur (16’) and Ashima Rout (29’) before half time.
Despite an exciting third quarter, the scores remained unchanged.
In the fourth quarter, Puja Sahoo (58’) found the back of the net, to complete a comprehensive victory for Odisha.
Speaking on the victory, head coach Edgar Mascarenhas commended his team on two consecutive victories, “We have been very hard and are thrilled with the result, looking forward to the next game and we hope to keep the momentum going.”
Odisha will now take on Chhattisgarh Hockey on Tuesday.
