Vedanta Kalinga Lancers Triumph in Men's Hockey India League Final
In a thrilling encounter at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers emerged victorious over Ranchi Royals with a 3-2 scoreline to lift the prestigious Men's Hockey India League title on Monday. The match was played in front of a partisan home crowd that created an electrifying atmosphere throughout the contest.
Hendrickx's Penalty-Corner Masterclass Seals Victory
The Belgian drag-flicker Alexander Hendrickx proved to be the hero for the Lancers, scoring twice from penalty corners in the 4th and 27th minutes of the match. His clinical finishing took his season tally to an impressive 12 goals. Dilpreet Singh added the third goal for the Lancers in the 25th minute, capitalizing on a rebound opportunity.
For the Ranchi Royals, Araijeet Singh Hundal opened their account in the 9th minute, while tournament top-scorer Tom Boon managed a consolation goal in the 59th minute. Despite winning seven penalty corners throughout the match, the Royals couldn't overcome the Lancers' determined defense and Hendrickx's brilliance.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
The Lancers drew first blood early in the game when Hendrickx converted a retaken penalty corner with a powerful drag-flick that beat goalkeeper Suraj Karkera. The Royals responded quickly within five minutes through Hundal's well-taken goal, but the second quarter belonged entirely to the home side.
After Karkera made an initial save from Hendrickx's penalty corner attempt, Dilpreet Singh showed excellent reflexes to stab home the rebound and give Lancers a 2-1 lead. Just two minutes later, Hendrickx unleashed another fierce drag-flick that found its way past the defense to restore the two-goal cushion.
Ranchi Royals pushed hard in the second half, with Tom Boon leading their charge. The tournament's top scorer with 19 goals finally found the net in the dying minutes, converting a late penalty corner to reduce the deficit, but it proved too little too late as the Lancers held on for the victory.
Tournament Awards and Recognition
The Hockey India League also announced several individual awards following the championship match:
- Player of the Tournament: Amandeep Lakra, Hyderabad Toofans
- Top Scorer of the Tournament: Tom Boon, Ranchi Royals (19 goals)
- Upcoming Player of the Tournament: Talem Priyobarta, HIL GC
- Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Prince Deep Singh, Tamil Nadu Dragons
- Fairplay Award: HIL GC
Bronze Medal Match Result
Earlier in the day, Hyderabad Toofans secured third place in the tournament with a 4-3 victory over HIL GC in the bronze medal match. Amandeep Lakra scored twice for the Toofans, with Nilakanta Sharma and Jacob Anderson also contributing goals. For HIL GC, Sam Ward netted a brace while Kane Russell added another goal to finish the tournament with 14 goals, all coming from penalty corners.
The victory marks a significant achievement for Vedanta Kalinga Lancers, who capitalized on their home advantage and the passionate support of the Bhubaneswar crowd to claim the Hockey India League championship in what was a closely contested final against a determined Ranchi Royals side.
