Rourkela, January 30 (HS): The exciting group stage of the Men's Hero Hockey India League 2024-25 concluded on Wednesday, with four of the eight participating teams reaching the semi-finals after securing the top four positions in the points table. Shrachi Radh Bengal Tigers, JSW Surma Hockey Club, Hyderabad Toofans and Tamil Nadu Dragons made it to the next round, while Delhi SG Pipers, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers, Team Gonasika and UP Rudras were eliminated.
Shrachi Radh Bengal Tigers will face Tamil Nadu Dragons while JSW Surma Hockey Club will face Hyderabad Toofans in the semi-finals to be held on January 31 at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium. Shrachiya Rarh Bengal Tigers topped the group stage with 19 points from 10 matches, which includes 6 wins, 3 losses in regular time and 1 shootout loss. Jugraj Singh was the star performer for them, scoring nine goals.
Shrachiya Rarh Bengal Tigers captain Rupinder Pal Singh said in a statement released by the league, It has been a roller-coaster ride, which includes both wins and losses. But I am happy that we have achieved our first goal of reaching the semi-finals. Moving forward, we will focus on executing our strategies and plans on the field to get the best results.
JSW Surma Hockey Club also earned 19 points from 10 matches, which includes 4 games won and 2 lost, as well as 3 shootout wins and 1 loss. Despite getting equal points as the Tigers, they fell behind with a goal difference of +1 compared to the Tigers' +2.
Team captain Harmanpreet Singh leads their goal tally with five goals.
Harmanpreet Singh said, “We did not have an ideal start, we were initially struggling to get the results we wanted. However, we kept improving with each match, and that helped us get back on track. We also performed well under pressure in some of our recent games. But the real challenge begins now, and we want to be fully prepared. We know our strengths and weaknesses, so we will train accordingly and plan for the semi-finals.”
Hyderabad Toofans finished third with 18 points thanks to 4 regular wins, 2 shootout wins and a goal difference of +10. Tim Brand and Gonzalo Peillat scored six goals each for the team.
Hyderabad Toofans captain Sumit said, “As a team, our journey has been solid so far. Especially the young players have stepped up and performed well. Competing in such a league is challenging, as it involves a high level of competition and players from all over the world. But the communication and camaraderie within our team has been great, and I am confident that we will continue to perform at our best in the coming matches.”
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Dragons finished fourth with 18 points, registering 4 regular season wins and 2 shootout wins, but ended the group stage with a goal difference of -1. Zip Jansen was their top scorer with six goals.
Amit Rohidas, captain of Tamil Nadu Dragons, said, “The journey of 10 group games was thrilling and full of ups and downs. Every match taught us something new and we enjoyed every moment. Firstly, we were excited to return to Hero HIL after seven years and now, we are excited to play in the semi-finals. We are looking forward to giving our best in the upcoming games. Also, the crowd support has been incredible and I would like to thank all the fans who came to the stadium and cheered for us. I encourage them to keep coming and supporting us in the semi-finals.”
Talking about head-to-head matches, Tigers lost to Dragons 2-1 in the first match, while Surma's game against Toofaans ended in a 1-1 draw, which Toofaans won 4-3 in the shootout.
On 31 January at 6:00 PM (Indian time) in the first semi-final of the Hero Hockey India League, Shruchi Radh Bengal Tigers will face Tamil Nadu Dragons.
On 31 January at 8:15 PM (Indian time) in the second semi-final of the Hero Hockey India League, JSW Surma Hockey Club will face Hyderabad Toofans.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
