New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The 16th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2026 will take place in Pune, Maharashtra, starting on August 12. It will feature 30 teams from all over the country competing in a three-division format. The tournament runs until 23rd August, with teams vying for the national title as well as opportunities for promotion and relegation between divisions.
The championship includes Division ‘A’, Division ‘B’, and Division ‘C’, offering a clear pathway for teams to compete at their appropriate levels and advance in the national system. This division-based structure encourages teams to compete not just for the title but also for promotion to a higher division.
Hockey India president Dilip Kumar Tirkey said, “The Junior Women National Championship is an important platform for identifying and nurturing the next generation of Indian hockey talent. With teams competing across three divisions, the tournament will provide young players with valuable competitive exposure while strengthening the domestic pathway.”
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said, “We are pleased to see teams from across the country coming together for this championship. The division-based format encourages healthy competition and gives teams an opportunity to progress through the national structure. We look forward to an exciting tournament in Pune.”
Division ‘A’, with 12 teams, is split into four pools. Pool A includes Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Punjab, and Hockey Chandigarh. Pool B features Hockey Haryana, Hockey Odisha Association, and Hockey Bengal. Pool C has Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Maharashtra, and Manipur Hockey. Pool D comprises Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, and Hockey Himachal.
The division ‘A’ league stage starts on August 16, with each team competing against others in its pool. The top two teams from each pool will move on to the quarter-finals on August 21. The semi-finals are set for August 21, followed by a rest day on August 22. The tournament concludes with the 3rd/4th place match and the final on August 23.
The 12 teams in division ‘A’ will compete for the prestigious national championship, while the teams finishing 11th and 12th will be relegated to Division ‘B’ for the next tournament.
Division ‘B’ will consist of 10 teams split into two pools. Pool A includes Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Assam Hockey, Delhi Hockey, Kerala Hockey, and Hockey Mizoram. Pool B features Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Uttarakhand, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Bihar, and Goans Hockey. The two highest-ranked teams from Division ‘B’ will be promoted to Division ‘A’, while the two lowest-ranked teams will be relegated to Division ‘C’.
Division ‘C’ comprises eight teams split into two pools. Pool A includes Hockey Arunachal, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan, and Tripura Olympic Association. Pool B features Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Gujarat, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, and Telangana Hockey. The two best teams from Division ‘C’ will advance to Division ‘B’ in the next edition.
The championship kicks off on August 12 with matches from division ‘B’ and division ‘C’. Division ‘A’ starts on August 16, featuring Hockey Jharkhand versus Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Haryana against Hockey Bengal, Uttar Pradesh Hockey versus Manipur Hockey, and Chhattisgarh Hockey versus Hockey Himachal in the first round.
The competition provides an essential platform for young players to challenge top talent nationwide and for emerging teams to advance within the national structure through promotion and relegation.
–IANS
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