Rourkela: Like on other days, hockey fans had turned up at the Birsa Munda stadium in large numbers hoping to see Odisha lift the Hockey India Sub-Junior National Championship crown.
Alas, they were left heart-broken by a ruthless Uttar Pradesh team which ran roughshod over the hosts to post a thoroughly convincing 7-1 victory and thereby retained the title.
UP were far too strong for the Odisha boys. And though the home team did put up some fight in the first half and conceded just two goals, they were just overran in the third and fourth quarters.
It was only in the closing stages of the final that Odisha managed to pull one goal back.
Odisha, who raised expectations among fans after a great run into the title round, had to settle for silver medal, which was an improvement on their bronze in the previous edition at Goa.
