The U17 boys’ hockey team from Odisha emerged champions in 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,” he further added.
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 the KPM Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur from November 18-26. The competition featured U17 boys and girls categories.