Coimbatore, July 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) The 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 is set to get underway here on Tuesday, with 30 teams from across the country vying for domestic honours over the next 12 days.
The tournament will conclude on August 8 with the Division 'A' final, where the national champions will be crowned.
The championship will be played across three divisions, 'A', 'B', and 'C', with promotion and relegation adding extra significance to every fixture. While Division 'A' teams will battle for the national title, sides in Divisions 'B' and 'C' will be aiming to earn promotion to the next tier.
Division 'A' features 12 teams split into four pools of three. Pool A comprises Hockey Haryana, Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu. Pool B includes Hockey Association of Odisha, Manipur Hockey, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey. Pool C features Hockey Punjab, Hockey Jharkhand and Delhi Hockey, while Pool D consists of Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Karnataka and Hockey Bengal.
The top two teams from each Division 'A' pool will progress to the quarter-finals on August 5, followed by the semi-finals on August 6. The bronze medal match and the final will be played on August 8. The bottom two teams in Division 'A' will be relegated to Division 'B' for the next edition.
Division 'B' comprises 10 teams divided into two pools of five. Pool A features Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Uttarakhand, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, Hockey Himachal and Kerala Hockey, while Pool B includes Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Arunachal, Bihar (BSSA) and Chhattisgarh Hockey. The top two teams will earn promotion to Division 'A', while the bottom two will drop to Division 'C'.
Division 'C' will see eight teams compete in two pools. Pool A consists of Assam Hockey, Goans Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan and Hockey Mizoram, while Pool B includes Telangana Hockey, Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Gujarat and Tripura Olympic Association. The top two teams from Division 'C' will secure promotion to Division 'B'.
The tournament will follow a league format during the pool stage, with teams earning three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. In Division 'A' classification matches, tied games requiring a result will be decided by a shoot-out in accordance with FIH Tournament Regulations.
Speaking ahead of the championship, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey highlighted the tournament's role in nurturing future internationals.
“The Junior Men National Championship continues to play a crucial role in strengthening India's hockey ecosystem by providing young players with a highly competitive platform to showcase their abilities. Many players who have excelled at this level have gone on to represent the country internationally, and we are confident this edition will once again unearth exceptional talent. We wish all participating teams the very best for the tournament,” he said.
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh said the promotion-relegation format makes the competition even more meaningful for aspiring players.
“The Junior Men National Championship is an important step in the development pathway for aspiring hockey players across the country. The tournament not only provides valuable match experience but also encourages healthy competition among state teams through the promotion and relegation format. We look forward to witnessing exciting hockey and congratulate all teams for earning the opportunity to compete at this prestigious event,” he said.
Competition begins on July 28 with Division 'C' fixtures. Assam Hockey will face Hockey Mizoram at 6:00 AM, followed by Goans Hockey taking on Hockey Rajasthan at 7:30 AM. Telangana Hockey will meet Tripura Olympic Association at 9:00 AM before Le Puducherry Hockey play Hockey Gujarat at 10:30 AM.
Division 'B' action will commence later in the day, with Hockey Maharashtra taking on Hockey Himachal at 12:00 PM, followed by Hockey Uttarakhand against Kerala Hockey at 1:30 PM. Hockey Andhra Pradesh will then face Bihar (BSSA) at 3:00 PM, while Hockey Chandigarh will take on Chhattisgarh Hockey at 4:30 PM. Division 'A' matches will begin on August 1.
Source: IANS
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