Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 25 : Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Hockey Maharashtra successfully registered their name as the finalists after defeating Hockey Chandigarh and Hockey Association of Odisha, respectively, in the semi-finals of the 1st Hockey India Masters Cup (Men) on Wednesday.
In the first semi-final match, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu defeated Hockey Chandigarh 3-0 in the men's category to become the first finalist of the historic 1st Hockey India Masters Cup 2025. Vinoth Kumar AP (1') started the game with an outstanding goal in the first minute of the match. Sudharsan S (40') and Captain Adam Antony Sinclair (54') also scored one goal each to secure their berth in the final stage of the tournament, a release said.
In the second semi-final match, Hockey Maharashtra won 4-1 against Hockey Association of Odisha to enter the final. Leonard Keith Pereira (4', 17') scored a brace while Vikram Pillay (38') and Karl Gomes (43') also scored one goal each to put their team, Hockey Maharashtra, in a strong position. On the other hand, Captain Lajrus Barla (27') managed to score the consolation goal for the Hockey Association of Odisha.
Hockey Chandigarh will now square off against Hockey Association of Odisha for the Bronze medal match on Friday before the final game. While the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Hockey Maharashtra will compete for the top spot on June 27 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium.
Earlier in the tournament, Hockey Maharashtra defeated Hockey Karnataka 2-1. Paramesh KS (15') opened the numbers on the scoreboard in the game for Hockey Karnataka. In response, Captain Dhananjay Mahadik (19') scored an equaliser for Hockey Maharashtra. Also, Sandesh Ganesh More (39') scored a match-winning goal to take his team to the semi-finals.
The Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu outclassed Hockey Punjab 8-2 to secure a place in the Semi-Finals. S Sudarshan (10') opened the scoring with a penalty corner conversion, followed by a field goal from team captain Adam Antony Sinclair (12'). But it was D Muthuselvan who stole the show with four stunning goals (20', 47', 53', 55') in a sensational display of attacking hockey.
Ramesh Nallamuthu (38') and Vinoth Kumar AP (43') also chipped in with a goal each. For Punjab, Ram Saran (30') and captain Ripudaman Kumar Singh (40') managed to get on the scoresheet, but their efforts were not enough to stop Tamil Nadu's onslaught.