Chandigarh (Punjab)[India], September 22 : The 14th edition of the Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship is set to take place at the Hockey Stadium, Sports Complex, Chandigarh, from September 23 to October 3.
As many as 28 teams from across the nation will battle it out for the coveted title, promising nearly two weeks of exhilarating hockey action.
The teams are divided into eight pools:
Pool A: Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand, Hockey Andhra Pradesh
Pool B: Hockey Association of Odisha, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan
Pool C: Hockey Haryana, Hockey Bengal, Telangana Hockey
Pool D: Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Assam Hockey, Kerala Hockey
Pool E: Hockey Punjab, Hockey Bihar, Hockey Karnataka, Manipur Hockey
Pool F: Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Arunachal, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir
Pool G: Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Goans Hockey, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Gujarat
Pool H: Delhi Hockey, Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Himachal
The top team from each pool will qualify for the Quarter-Finals, followed by the Semi-Finals, the third-place playoff, and the Final.
The opening day will feature six matches. Dadra and Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu Hockey take on Goans Hockey, and the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu face Hockey Gujarat in Pool G. In Pool E, Hockey Punjab will go up against Hockey Karnataka, followed by Hockey Bihar playing against Manipur Hockey. Pool F will see Hockey Arunachal clashing with Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, and Hockey Chandigarh competing against Hockey Maharashtra.
"The Sub Junior Men National Championship is a crucial platform to identify and nurture young talent from across the country. We are excited to witness the upcoming stars of Indian hockey in action," said Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey.
Adding to this, Bhola Nath Singh, Secretary General of Hockey India, stated, "Empowering our young athletes with exposure to match conditions is a priority for us. We are looking forward to witnessing some strong performances over the next two weeks."