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Soorma Hockey Club and Odisha Warriors willl lock horns with each other in the title clash of the inaugural edition of the Women's Hockey India League at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday. The final match of the competition will start at 6 pm IST.
Both hockey teams will look to become the inaugural women's HIL champions. Returning after seven years, five editions of the HIL have been played before, but the women's edition is being played for the first time. The women's HIL 2024-25 was played in the league format with each team playing the other three in the competition twice.
Soorma Hockey Club topped the league stage with 13 points from six games, followed by Odisha Warriors, who claimed the second spot on the points table to make the final with 11 points. Rarh Bengal Tigers (7 points) and Delhi SG Pipers (5 points) were eliminated, a release said.
The first of the two meetings between the eventual finalists was won by Soorma Hockey Club with a 2-1 scoreline. Hina Bano and Sonam scored for the winning team before Odisha Warriors' Dutch recruit Freeke Moes pulled one back for her side.
The second match ended in a goalless draw in regulation time before Odisha Warriors clinched a bonus point by winning the shoot-out. Odisha Warriors will look for an inspiring performance from Yibbi Jansen of the Netherlands, who was named the women's Player of the Year for 2024. Along with Soorma Hockey Club's Belgian player Charlotte Englebert, Jansen is the joint top-scorer in HIL 2024-25 with five goals.
The men's Hockey India League 2024-25 final will be held at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on February 1. (ANI)