Prince Deep Singh Stars as Tamil Nadu Dragons Edge Hyderabad Toofans in Shootout Thriller – 2026
Chennai, January 3, 2026: The Accord Tamil Nadu Dragons opened their Men’s Hero Hockey India League campaign in dramatic fashion, clinching a 3–3 (4–2 SO) victory over Hyderabad Toofans at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, Egmore, on Saturday night.
Locked at 3–3 at the end of regulation time, the match went down to a penalty shootout, where goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh emerged as the hero, saving two attempts to secure a crucial bonus point for the Dragons in the opening fixture of the tournament. | Tamil Nadu Dragons
Fast Start, Early Momentum
The home side wasted no time in stamping their authority. Within the opening minutes, goalkeeper David Harte produced a sharp save to repel Hyderabad’s early attack before the Dragons surged forward to earn the first penalty corner of the season.
Uttam Singh (4’) made history by scoring the first goal of the 2025–26 Men’s HIL, deftly converting from close range to hand the Dragons the lead. The momentum continued when Thomas Sorsby (9’) weaved his way into the circle and calmly guided his effort past the goalkeeper to double the advantage.
Toofans Fight Back
Hyderabad Toofans responded with characteristic resilience. From their first penalty corner, Amandeep Lakra (12’) unleashed a thunderous drag-flick to reduce the deficit. The forward was at it again in the second quarter, hammering home another fierce strike from a penalty corner in the 18th minute to level the scores at 2–2.
The remainder of the half saw end-to-end hockey, with both teams creating half-chances but unable to find a breakthrough before the long whistle.
End-to-End Third Quarter
The Dragons regained the lead early in the third quarter when Karthi Selvam (32’) finished off a slick team move, set up brilliantly by Uttam Singh. But Hyderabad once again had an answer.
Just five minutes later, Belgian star Arthur De Sloover (37’) found space inside the circle and fired home from a tight angle to restore parity. The quarter ended with the scoreboard reading 3–3 after sustained pressure from the Dragons, which Hyderabad defended with composure.
Drama Builds, Shootout Decides
With everything to play for in the final quarter, the Toofans came out pressing aggressively. Prince Deep Singh was tested repeatedly, producing crucial saves from penalty corners to keep the Dragons in the contest.
Despite both teams pushing hard for a winner, regulation time ended without further goals, setting the stage for a nerve-racking penalty shootout.
Prince Deep Singh Delivers
The shootout belonged to the Dragons’ custodian. Prince Deep Singh saved two Hyderabad attempts, swinging the momentum decisively in his side’s favour. Mohammed Raheel then stepped up to score the winning stroke, sealing a 4–2 shootout victory and sparking celebrations among the home supporters.
The Tamil Nadu Dragons ’ thrilling start sets the tone for what promises to be a fiercely competitive HIL season.
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