Indian Navy Defeats Railways to Reach Hockey Final

In the first semifinal of the 97th all-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament held at the SDAT Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai, Indian Navy defeated Indian Railways 4-2 in a penalty shootout, ending Railways' hopes for a fourth consecutive title.

The match concluded with both teams tied at 2-2 after regulation time. Navy's Yogesh Singh opened the scoring in the 27th minute, followed by Railways equalizing through Pratap Lakra in the third quarter. Railways took the lead with a goal from Atul Deep in the 55th minute, but Navy equalized again with K. Selvaraj's goal just before the end of regulation.

Navy excelled in the penalty shootout, converting four attempts, while Railways managed only two successful shots. In the other semifinal, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd also advanced by defeating Indian Army in a shootout.