'That loss…was truly turning point' - Punjab coach Rajinder Singh on what changed for his side in senior hockey nationals

Punjab beat Madhya Pradesh in the final to win their 21st senior hockey nationals.

Punjab lifted the coveted 15th Hockey Senior Men’s National Championship 2025 title as they defeated Madhya Pradesh 4-1 in the final in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.

They had also won the tournament in 2023, however, in the last edition, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Maharashtra. This time, led by captain Hardik Singh and coach Rajinder Singh, Punjab have claimed the championship again.

Punjab finished their Division 1, Pool A second in the standings, three points behind Madhya Pradesh, who dealt them their only defeat in the tournament. In the quarter-final, Punjab earned a 3-2 win over Haryana, followed by a 4-3 victory against Uttar Pradesh in the semi-final. Despite their earlier loss, Punjab ensured they learnt from their mistakes and defeated Madhya Pradesh comfortably in the final.

Jugraj Singh was in top form for Punjab having finished the tournament as the second-highest goalscorer with five goals and even recorded a crucial brace in the final. Young sensation Araijeet Singh Hundal also played a crucial role in the attack and claimed three goals to his name.

Reflecting on the tournament, Punjab coach Rajinder Singh stated, “It was a very good tournament for us, and we gave a solid performance overall. The loss against Madhya Pradesh was truly a turning point for us. We knew we were a strong side but after that loss, we regrouped and ensured we didn’t take the rest of the matches lightly.”

Also Read: Jugraj Singh reflects on his performance in Punjab’s victorious campaign in senior hockey nationals: ‘More than ourselves, we played for Punjab

Talking about the team’s strategy, Rajinder Singh said, “Since we didn’t have a lot of time to train together before the tournament, so I left it upon the players to naturally settle and play since we have a few national players in the squad. After the loss in the Pool stage, we changed our strategy a little and shifted from zonal-marking to man-marking which worked out better for us.”

In the final, Punjab conceded a goal first but made a brilliant comeback in the second half to seal the match. After the final, captain Hardik Singh said, “The plan was to attack from the start and the boys executed well. Though I still feel we missed a couple of chances, we are extremely happy with the win.

“It’s always great to perform in the domestic circuit, overall the competition was good, and it feels good to win the gold medal.”

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