East Coast Railway wins Odisha Hockey Championships 2022 title

Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway claimed the first championship title of the Hockey Association of Odisha Senior Men Hockey Championships 2022 by beating Khordha 1-0 in a closely contested final match.

SAIL Academy won the bronze medal by beating Sundargarh 3-2 in the 3rd/4th place match.

Over 500 players from various districts, academies, and institutions participated in the championship making it one of the most successful state-level hockey competitions organised in Odisha.

The final day also saw the distribution of some individual awards.

Best Goalkeeper – Dilip Kumar Sa, Khordha

Best Defender – Kerobin Lakra, SAIL

Best Mid-Fielder – Biju Ekka, Sundargarh

Best Forward – Sunil Toppo, East Coast Railway

Player of the Tournament – Roshan Kujur

“Congratulations to East Coast Railways for becoming the first champions of the Hockey Association of Odisha Senior Men Hockey Championships. I hope their victory can inspire many more youngsters to take up the game. We will continue to host such tournaments that can enable players to showcase their talent and help develop the game,” said president of Hockey Association of Odisha and Chairman of Hockey Promotion Council Dilip Tirkey.

“I would like to thank the Department of Sports and Youth Services for their support and guidance without which this tournament would not have been possible. I would also like to thank MP and founder of KIIT University Achyutha Samanta for providing the best facilities for the comfortable stay of the players during the tournament. It is the support of such stakeholders that has enabled the Hockey Association of Odisha to conduct one of the best state-level tournaments in hockey to date,” Tirkey added.