Coach Rajinder, Captain Hardik reflect on Punjab’s national title

Hockey Punjab defeated Hockey Madhya Pradesh 4-1 in the Senior Men’s National Championship 2025 final to lift the title in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.
In the 2024 edition, Punjab was knocked out in the quarter-final Hockey Maharashtra. However, Hardik Singh returned to lead the team this season along with coach Rajinder Singh.
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“It was a very good tournament for us, and we gave a solid performance overall. The loss against Hockey Madhya Pradesh was truly a turning point for us. We knew we were a strong side, but after that loss, we regrouped and ensured we didn’t take the rest of the matches lightly,” Punjab’s coach Rajinder Singh said about the title.
Jugraj Singh was in top form for Hockey Punjab, having finished the tournament as the second-highest goalscorer with five goals and even recorded a crucial brace in the final. Young sensation Araijeet Singh Hundal also played a crucial role in the attack and claimed three goals to his name.
Talking about the team’s strategy, Rajinder Singh said, “Since we didn’t have a lot of time to train together before the tournament, I left it upon the players to naturally settle and play since we have a few national players in the squad. After the loss in the Pool stage, we changed our strategy a little and shifted from zonal-marking to man-marking, which worked out better for us.”
In the final, Hockey Punjab conceded a goal first but made a brilliant comeback in the second half to seal the match.Story continues below this ad
After the final, Captain Hardik Singh said, “The plan was to attack from the start, and the boys executed well. Though I still feel we missed a couple of chances, we are extremely happy with the win. It’s always great to perform in the domestic circuit. Overall, the competition was good, and it feels good to win the gold medal.”