Raipur, November 1, 2026: Mainpat Titans emerged as the champions of the inaugural Chhattisgarh Hockey League, defeating Sanskardhani Strikers 4-2 in an exciting final at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium in Raipur on Sunday.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao attended the final match.
Organised by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Chhattisgarh, and sanctioned by Hockey India, the 12-day tournament featured six franchise-based teams representing different regions of the state.
Mainpat Titans started aggressively, creating early attacking opportunities. Sanskardhani Strikers earned a penalty stroke, but tournament top scorer Ashish Tani Purti failed to convert it against goalkeeper Alfaz Khan.
Mainpat Titans took the lead in the final minutes of the first quarter when Abhishek Yadav scored with a reverse flick from a rebound.
Sanskardhani Strikers bounced back in the second quarter as Prahalad Rajbhar converted a pass from Sandeep Kumar to level the score at 1-1.
Mainpat regained the lead in the third quarter through Sandeep Kumar, who converted a penalty corner to make it 2-1. However, Sanskardhani Strikers responded through Sarikh Ahmed, who scored from open play to bring the score to 2-2 by the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter belonged to Mainpat Titans. Mohit Nayak scored a brilliant tomahawk shot into the top-left corner to give his team a 3-2 lead. He then added another field goal in the closing seconds to seal a 4-2 victory and secure the inaugural league title.
Prize Money and Individual Awards
The tournament featured a total prize pool of ₹21 lakh. Mainpat Titans received ₹11 lakh as champions, while runners-up Sanskardhani Strikers were awarded ₹6 lakh.
The individual awards were presented as follows:
- Player of the Tournament: Shahrukh Ali
- Top Scorer: Ashish Tani Purti (13 goals)
- Best Goalkeeper: Himanshu
- Best Chhattisgarh Player: Mohit Nayak
- Emerging Player (U-21): Sandeep Kumar
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated both teams and appreciated their performances. He highlighted the participation of 108 local players from Chhattisgarh, who competed alongside several established national-level players, including Pradeep, Shamsher, Lalit Upadhyay, Yuvraj Walmiki, Chinglensana Singh, Surender Kumar and S.V. Sunil.
About Chhattisgarh Hockey League
The Chhattisgarh Hockey League is the first official state-level hockey league organised by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Chhattisgarh.
The inaugural tournament was held from October 21 to November 1, 2026, at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium in Raipur.
Six franchise-based teams participated in the competition: Rajdhani Royals, Bailadila Bulls, Sanskardhani Strikers, Chakradhar Champions, Nyayadhani Knights and Mainpat Titans.
Each team comprised 18 local players from Chhattisgarh and four national or international players from outside the state.
The league was organised under the tagline “Chalo Re Sangi, Hockey Khelbo”, promoting hockey and encouraging local sporting talent across Chhattisgarh.
