The Khelo India Women's Hockey League (U-21) was won by Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy of Sonepat, who defeated Sports Hostel Bhubaneswar 5-0 in the final at the Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence in Lucknow.
Manju Chorsiya had two goals, while Tannu, Ritika, and captain Bharti Saroha each had one. The SAI 'B' squad, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, and the SAI 'A' team finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. With 11 goals, Sanjna Horo of the SAI 'A' team was the top scorer in the final phase.
Pritam Rani Siwach, a former captain of India's women's hockey team and winner of the Dronacharya Award, runs the Sonepat-based institution. Kuldeep Siwach, her husband, is the coach of the U-21 women's team, which won both the trophy and a financial reward of Rs 10 lakh.
Kuldeep spoke to the Indian Sports Authority, "We had planned for the victory over the three phases of the tournament. In the final today, we used the correct formation that we wanted and got the target we wanted to achieve. I want to thank SAI and Hockey India from the bottom of my heart for this exposure.”
Kuldeep added about the team's composition, "We have a class 7 student in our team, girls who have played in sub-junior level as well as the junior national level. These girls showcased a lot of confidence and everyone who watched them plays saw it. Our captain Bharti Saroha also gave her best and in the coming future, I see them making it big for the Indian national team."
Last December, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur, Minister of State for Sports Nisith Pramanik, and IOA President Narinder Batra opened the tournament's first phase at the Major Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi. The second phase, co-organized by SAI and Hockey India, was held at SAI Lucknow last month, with the final phase taking place at the same location.
