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Odisha hosted a spectacular display of world-class hockey as the Hero Hockey India League 2026 reached its grand finale

in Sports January 26, 2026 Comments Off on Odisha hosted a spectacular display of world-class hockey as the Hero Hockey India League 2026 reached its grand finale 627 Views

Bhubaneswar:26/1/26:Odisha hosted a spectacular display of world-class hockey as the Hero Hockey India League 2026 reached its grand finale at the iconic Kalinga Stadium on Monday evening. The summit clash between home favorites Vedanta Kalinga Lancers and the resilient Ranchi Royals took place in front of a capacity crowd and a distinguished gallery of dignitaries who gathered to support the revival of India’s premier hockey league.

The event was graced by Smt. Surama Padhy, Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, and Shri Suryabanshi Suraj, Minister for Sports and Youth Services, Higher Education, and Odia Language, Literature and Culture.

Their presence underscored the state’s unwavering commitment to making Odisha the global hub for hockey. Joining them were top state officials, including Smt. Anu Garg, Chief Secretary of Odisha, and Shri Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Secretary for Sports and Youth Services.

The hockey fraternity was represented at the highest level by Dr. Dilip Kumar Tirkey, President of Hockey India, along with Shri Bhola Nath Singh, Vice President of the Asian Hockey Federation and Secretary General of Hockey India. Also in attendance were Shri Nitin Kohli, Executive Board Member of Hockey India, and Cdr. R K Srivastava, Director General of Hockey India, and all of whom have played pivotal roles in the successful execution of this seventh edition of the league.

The final served as the culmination of a month-long tournament that saw eight teams battle across Chennai, Ranchi, and Bhubaneswar. Ranchi Royals entered the match with significant momentum following a thrilling 3-2 victory in the second qualifier against Hyderabad Toofans, led by a clinical hat-trick from captain Tom Boon. Meanwhile, the Kalinga Lancers had secured their spot earlier by finishing top of the league table and winning the first qualifier.

Beyond the action on the turf, the presence of such esteemed leadership highlighted the collective effort to strengthen grassroots hockey and provide Indian athletes with a competitive platform alongside international stars. The tournament has been a resounding success, further cementing the sport’s popularity and the Kalinga Stadium’s reputation as a world-class venue for championship athletics.

About Editor in chief

Ashok Palit has completed his graduation from Upendranath College Soro, Balasore and post graduation from Utkal University in Odia Language and literture.. He has also carved out a niche for himself as a scribe of eminence after joining the profession in 1988. He is also an independent media production professional. He brings loads of experience to Advanced Media, Ashok Palit as a cineaste has been active in film criticism for over three decades. As a film society activist, he soared to eminence for his profound commitment to the art film appreciation and aesthetics of cinema. His mode of discourse is often erudite but always lucid and comprehensible marked by a perfect acumen so rare in the field. A film aesthete with an immense fond of critical sensibilities, he wrote about growth and development of odia cinema in New Indian Express, The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Asian Age and Screen. He has been working as an Editor for Cine Samaya from 2002-2004.. He had made solid contribution on cinema in many odia Dailies and weekly such as Samaj, Prajatantra, Dharatri, Samaya, Satabadi, and weekly Samaya.
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