Rourkela: Haryana, Jharkhand enter final

Rourkela: Defending champion Haryana will lock horns with last year’s runners up Jharkhand in the final of the ongoing 21st Subjunior Girls National Hockey Championship at Biju Patnaik hockey stadium here on Sunday. Haryana defeated hosts Orissa 3-1 in a closely contested match in the first semifinal, while Jharkhand trounced Uttar Pradesh 4-0 in the second. Orissa was leading in the first half by 1-0 with the conversion of a penalty corner by Punam Barla on 13th minute. In the second half, Orissa girls failed to keep pace and conceded three goals. Rani scored two goals, while Rajani netted the third in 55th minutes. In the second semifinal, defending champion Jharkhand completely dominated the match and scored two goals in each half. Sabnam Lakra scored two goals, while Ashok Kumar and Mukta Munda scored one each. A total of 25 teams participated in the tournament. PTI