Rourkela(Basanta Kumar Jena): Hockey Odisha are all set to take on Hockey Madhya Pradesh in the semifinals of the 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Men’s National Championship 2023, which is currently underway at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, in Rourkela. The home team secured a berth in the semifinal following a comprehensive, 7-0 victory against Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey and extending their undefeated campaign in the tournament. The team’s performances have been spearheaded by Deonath Nanwar, who has been their highest scorer with 11 goals, in just three games. Head Coach of Odisha, Lakshmi Narayana, spoke about the team’s preparation ahead of the tournament, their splendid victory in the quarter finals and shared his insights ahead of the crucial semifinal clash.
On the team’s preparation, Coach Lakshmi Narayana attributed much of their success so far to the immense hard work the team has put in while preparing for the competition. “We arrived here around 15 days (about 2 weeks) before the tournament started, so we have been practicing very hard. We have also been playing a lot of practice games with the Sports Hostels, so that has helped the boys get used to match conditions. I think preparation has been the key to our performance.”
While introspecting on the victory in the Quarter final, Coach Lakshmi Narayana said, “We had a strategy in mind. We wanted to play a patient game and wait for the right opportunities. The boys executed it well and it is a good morale booster for them, before the next game.” With regards to the next game against Hockey Madhya Pradesh, he opined, “They are a fast team that likes to attack, so our key is to field a compact midfield and use our midfielders to build our attacking moves.”
The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium has rapidly become the jewel of world hockey. Odisha’s previous encounter boasted an attendance of over 5000 people, unprecedented numbers for a Sub Junior fixture. While conceding that it adds to the pressure, Coach Lakshmi Narayana believes that playing on this ground adds an extra layer of motivation as well for his boys. Commenting on the inspiration it provides, he said “The boys are not used to playing in front of so many people, but the support has been amazing. This is the best stadium in the world, there is no doubt about that. The infrastructure here is unrivaled and it is a true privilege for aspiring athletes to play here.”
Deonath Nanwar, a 16-year-old cadet and top scorer of Hockey Odisha Squad also scored a brace in the previous match
Speaking about his mindset and his motivation to perform well for the team, the athlete shares “ As an attacker I am always trying to score goals, because it is a very important role in the team. Everybody’s effort won’t count if we don’t score goals. I try to give my best performance and listen to what the coaches are saying. This is what has helped us get here so far and will hopefully take us forward as well”, he said. He further added, “as a team we want to do well for Odisha. We have great resources and even better coaches, so we feel great pride in representing them and want to bring home the trophy.”
Hockey Odisha will take on Hockey Madhya Pradesh in the semifinals of 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Men’s National Championship 2023 on the 27th of May. The other semifinal will see Uttar Pradesh Hockey take on Haryana Hockey. The victors of these encounters will battle it out in an eagerly anticipated final fixture on the 28th of May, at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium.
