Chennai, June 18: The 1st edition of the Hockey India Masters Cup 2025 got underway in grand fashion at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with both women’s and men’s teams showcasing high-energy performances on Day 1. A total of 8 teams are competing in the women’s category while 11 teams are in the fray in the men’s category, with the tournament culminating in the final match on June 27.

Women’s Category: Karnataka and Maharashtra Shine

Hockey Karnataka opened their campaign with a dominant 7-0 win over Kerala Hockey. Forward Sneha C stole the spotlight with the tournament’s first-ever hat-trick, scoring in the 15th, 17th, and 50th minutes. Captain KK Krithika added a brace (42’, 55’), while Usha Vinaykumar (22’) and Josephine Lore Sequeira (50’) contributed a goal each.

In the other scheduled women’s match, Hockey Maharashtra was awarded a 5-0 official forfeit victory over Hockey Himachal, who failed to appear.

Men’s Category: Punjab and Tamil Nadu Off to a Winning Start

In the men’s section, Hockey Punjab edged past Le Puducherry Hockey with a 3-2 win in a closely contested encounter. Punjab’s goals came from Pavninder Singh (15’), Dharam Pal Singh (36’), and captain Ripudaman Kumar (42’). Le Puducherry responded with goals from Delhiganesh (21’) and N Kamala Kannan (47’), but fell just short.

Meanwhile, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu delivered a spectacular performance in front of the home crowd, crushing Kerala Hockey 8-0. Ramadoss V scored twice (14’, 44’), while the team saw contributions from Sudharsan S (28’), Thamaraikannan (32’), Captain Adam Antony Sinclair (34’), Vinoth Kumar AP (35’), Cedric Marcellin D Cruz (40’), and Sathish Kumar (43’).

Tournament Overview:

Women’s Teams (8): Odisha, Haryana, Himachal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala

Men’s Teams (11): Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chandigarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Manipur