LUCKNOW, April 10 -- Bronze medallist in the last edition, Uttar Pradesh Hockey scored a comprehensive 6-3 victory over the Hockey Association of Odisha in a thrilling Division 'A' 16th Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship at Rajgir in Bihar on Thursday, showcasing their penalty corner prowess and clinical finishing. The quarterfinal match, pulsating with end-to-end action, highlighted UP's resurgence as a force in Indian hockey, particularly for fans in Lucknow and beyond. In other quarterfinals of the day, Punjab defeated Jharkhand 5-3, Daman and Diu Hockey beat Hockey Chandigarh 2-1 and Hockey Madhya Pradesh defeated Hockey Haryana 4-3 in a shoot out. UP opened the account in the 33rd minute when Karan Dhanuk converted a penalty corner, rifling the ball past Odisha's goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead. Odisha responded swiftly, with Deepak Prakash Toppo equalizing from a penalty corner in the 34th minute, his drag-flick finding the top corner to make it 1-1. Momentum swung back decisively in the 39th minute as Prahalad Rajbhar, a rising star from Uttar Pradesh's heartland, unleashed a thunderous penalty corner strike, restoring UP's advantage at 2-1. The second half belonged to UP. Ketan Kushwaha extended the lead to 3-1 in the 42nd minute with a brilliant field goal, weaving through defenders before slotting home. And Odisha clawed back through Toppo's second penalty corner goal in the 45th minute, narrowing the gap to 3-2. But UP's attack erupted as Nitish Yadav buried two penalty corners in quick succession in the 49th and 51st minutes pushing the score to 5-2 and silencing the Odisha challenge. Romit Pal added gloss with another field goal in the 52nd minute, making it 6-2. Toppo notched his hat-trick in the 57th minute via yet another penalty corner, but it proved mere consolation at 6-3. UP's defense, led by resolute tackling, thwarted Odisha's late surges, securing a morale-boosting win. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Hockey clinched a thrilling 2-1 victory over Hockey Haryana to make it to the semi-finals of the 6th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship, showcasing grit and clinical finishing, in Ranchi on Wednesday. The match's first breakthrough came in the 21st minute when Arika Kumari converted a penalty stroke with ice-cool precision, giving UP a 1-0 lead. Haryana fought back relentlessly, dominating possession with 17 shots on target compared to UP's mere two in the first half. Their persistence paid off in the 50th minute as Radhika slammed home a penalty corner equalizer, leveling the score at 1-1 and injecting fresh drama into the contest. But UP's resilience shone brightest in the dying minutes. In the 54th minute, Rashi Singh produced a moment of magic with a stunning field goal, rifling the ball past the keeper to seal a deserved 2-1 win. Despite Haryana's 50 total attacks, UP's defense held firm, turning defense into a triumphant attack. Hosts Rehman XI and KD Singh Babu XI marched into the final of the 2nd Fazlur Rehman Memorial Sub-Junior Hockey Tournament, notching up contrasting wins, at the Chandra Bhan Gupt Khel Maidan here on Wednesday. Whereas Rehman XI defeated Mohd Shahid XI 4-1, KD Singh Babu XI defeated Jaman Lal Sharma 2-1 in a penalty shoot out....