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Odisha and Haryana emerged victorious in the semifinals of the Hockey India-14th Senior National Championship, setting up a thrilling final on Saturday.Odisha, boasting several players from the national junior and senior camps, dominated Manipur throughout the match. Shilanand Lakra, who recently returned to the Indian senior team after knee surgery, played a pivotal role, scoring a goal and assisting another.Despite a competitive first half that ended 2-2, Odisha seized control in the fourth quarter. Prasad Kujjur tapped in a precise pass from Lakra, while Sudeep Chirmako unleashed a reverse flick to seal the victory.Meanwhile, Haryana faced a spirited challenge from Uttar Pradesh. Leading 3-0, Haryana appeared to be cruising to victory. However, a yellow card to Pardeep Mor in the final 10 minutes gave UP hope. Arun Sahani and Manish Yadav scored penalty corners to bring UP within striking distance.However, goalkeeper Pawan Malik produced several crucial saves to preserve Haryana's lead. Raman, Abhimanyu, and Rajinder Singh had earlier scored for Haryana.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the former champion of the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup All-India hockey tournament, has secured its place in the semifinals after a 3-1 victory over Odisha in a Pool-B contest. With this win, IOC has assured itself of a spot in the knock-out stage.IOC, studded with Olympians and Internationals, has played hard and ticked all the boxes in this year's tournament. The team has scripted its third successive win, leaving nothing to chance. Odisha, from Pool-B, is the other team that has made it to the last four.In Pool-A, Indian Army tamed Tamil Nadu 3-1 with a delectable mix of aggression and caution. However, the picture in Pool-A is still unclear as to who will reach the semifinals. Tamil Nadu, after its wonderful win over Maharashtra, flattered to deceive against a strong Army unit.Army was the better side throughout the match, be it in attack, defense, or midfield. Tamil Nadu will rue its chances in the fourth quarter. Trailing 1-3 in the fourth quarter, the host had four back-to-back penalty corners but wasted each one of them.