Senior Mens National Hockey Championship Kicks Off in Jhansi on October 10

Jhansi, October 9 (Daily Kiran) : The Senior Men’s National Hockey Championship 2026 is set to commence in Jhansi on October 10. This year’s tournament will showcase 29 teams competing across three divisions and will conclude on October 21, with the Division A final taking place on the last day.

In the previous edition, Hockey Punjab clinched the title by defeating Hockey Madhya Pradesh 4-1 in the Division A final. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Hockey secured third place by beating Manipur Hockey 5-1.

This year’s championship features Division A, Division B, and Division C, with teams grouped according to their rankings from the 2025 edition. It provides a competitive platform for teams from across the country to showcase their talents and vie for national recognition.

Division A comprises 12 teams, divided into four pools of three. Pool A includes Hockey Punjab, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, and Hockey Bengal. Pool B features Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Maharashtra, and Hockey Puducherry. In Pool C, you’ll find Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Karnataka, and Hockey Chandigarh, while Pool D consists of Manipur Hockey, Hockey Haryana, and Delhi Hockey.

Following the pool stage, the quarter-finals are scheduled for October 18, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the knockout stage. The semi-finals will take place on October 19, leading up to the third-place match and the final on October 21.

Division B will see 10 teams competing in two pools. Pool A includes Hockey Association of Odisha, Assam Hockey, Kerala Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh Hockey. Pool B features Hockey Jharkhand, Telangana Hockey, Goa Hockey, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu Hockey, along with Hockey Arunachal.

Division C consists of seven teams split into two pools. Pool A includes Hockey Mizoram, Hockey Himachal, and Hockey Jammu and Kashmir, while Pool B comprises Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Rajasthan, Bihar Hockey, and Hockey Gujarat.

Matches for Divisions B and C will commence on October 10, as teams aim to start their campaigns strongly. Division A matches will begin on October 14, promising intense competition as teams strive to secure their spots in the knockout stage.

With thrilling contests expected among the teams in all three divisions, the 16th Hockey India Senior Men’s National Championship in Jhansi promises two exciting weeks of domestic hockey, as participating teams aim to establish their identities and challenge for their respective titles.