Junior National Hockey: After Semifinal Heartbreak, Odisha Miss Bronze To Finish 4th

Rourkela: A day after their heartbreaking semifinal defeat at the hands of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha bowed to Haryana on Thursday evening to finish fourth in the Junior National Hockey championship.

The local crowd failed to lift the home team at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium as Odisha lost 1-3 in the third-place playoff fixture.

Most of their energies and enthusiasm seem to have evaporated following a marathon shootout on Wednesday night. Odisha put up a spirited fight against MP to force a 4-4 draw in regulation time after having trailed 2-4.

In the penalty shootout, the two teams couldn’t be separated for long. Odisha had their chances to seal the deal in sudden death, but nerves ensured that home players missed their attempts.