Pune (Maharashtra) [India], March 19 : The league stage of the 14th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship concluded on Tuesday with Hockey Karnataka and Hockey Manipur winning their respective Pool G matches at the Major Dhyanchand Hockey Stadium Pimpri, Pune.
With the top team from each Pool qualifying for the knock-outs, the stage is set for some high-octane action and top-quality hockey. All the quarter-finals are scheduled to take place on Wednesday with the winners going through to the semis that are to be played on Friday.
The first quarter-final will be played between defending Champions Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Hockey Bengal. Led by Indian women's hockey team defender Ishika Chaudhary, Hockey Madhya Pradesh beat Chhattisgarh Hockey 8-0 and Hockey Bihar 7-1 to top Pool A and qualify for the knockouts. Hockey Bengal on the other hand defeated Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 2-0, Telangana Hockey 11-0 and Hockey Gujarat 28-0 to top Pool H.
Hosts Hockey Maharashtra will face off against Hockey Manipur in the second Quarter-Final. Beating Delhi Hockey 3-0 and Kerala Hockey 10-0, Hockey Maharashtra finished in first place in Pool B while Manipur Hockey defeated Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey 12-0, Hockey Karnataka 3-0 and Hockey Uttarakhand 11-2 to finish first in Pool G.
The third Quarter-Final will see Hockey Jharkhand play Hockey Mizoram. Hockey Jharkhand, boasting of four international players, posted a commanding win over Hockey Andhra Pradesh 13-0 before drawing with Uttar Pradesh Hockey 2-2 to top Pool C by means of having a better goal difference than Uttar Pradesh Hockey. Hockey Mizoram, however, has topped Pool F on the back of three consecutive wins, defeating Hockey Himachal 10-0, Hockey Rajasthan 20-2 and Hockey Punjab 4-2.
Hockey Haryana will play Hockey Association of Odisha in the fourth Quarter Finals. The star-studded Hockey Haryana team with 11 international players and led by Indian Women's Hockey Team Captain Savita goes into the knock-outs with two massive wins without conceding a single goal, defeating Assam Hockey 15-0 and Le Puducherry Hockey 22-0 to top Pool D. Pool E toppers Hockey Association of Odisha qualified after beating Goans Hockey 9-1 and Hockey Chandigarh 6-1.
All the quarter-finals will be played on Wednesday with the winners going through to the semi-finals to be played on Friday.
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