Odisha U17 boys’ hockey team win gold at 2nd Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia
The Odisha U17 boys' hockey team emerged victorious, to clinch the gold following a thrilling, 4-3 victory against South Africa
Bhubaneshwar: The U17 boys’ hockey team from Odisha was crowned champions at the 2nd Mirnawan Cup, held in Malaysia. The Odisha U17 boys’ hockey team emerged victorious, to clinch the gold following a thrilling, 4-3 victory against South Africa. Meanwhile, in another triumph for Odisha the U17 women’s team claimed bronze with a 2-0 win over South Africa.
Highlighting the prowess of Odisha hockey, Vivek Lakra was awarded the title of Best Goalkeeper in the boys’ category while Binati Minz and Janhabi Bada from the women’s team were recognized as the Best Scorers of the tournament.
Following the victory, Coach of the U17 Boys team, David John said, “We are very proud of this achievement as it shows the strength of our program on an international level. This has been a tremendous opportunity for some of our young players to get international experience and they have performed very well.”
“We have been training very hard and the boys have been together for a while and their chemistry was evident during the tournament. The state of Odisha has been making great strides towards the development of Hockey in the state and India and we are grateful for all their support”, he further added.
Echoing these sentiments, Coach of the U17 Girls team, Sujit Lakra said, “We were keen on winning our second gold, but unfortunately lost to a last-minute goal in the decider. However, I am very happy that we are going back to Odisha with a medal. The fact that the girls have beaten teams like Australia, Japan and South Africa gives us immense confidence and it good preparation for us ahead of the upcoming Khelo India Youth Games 2024 to be held in Chennai.”
The 2nd Mirnawan Cup 2023, part of the Malaysia National Hockey Development Program (NHDP), invited the Hockey Association of Odisha to showcase their ability. The tournament was held at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia’s KPM Hockey Stadium from November 18-26, 2023 and featured U17 Boys and Girls categories. The participation of 11 teams from 5 countries allowed the budding athletes to compete on an international level.
The success in Malaysia augurs well for Hockey in Odisha, as the state has undertaken numerous measures towards the development game in Odisha and across the country.
Ms Kalinga