15th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2025 to start in Ranchi from July 3
This year's edition will feature 28 teams divided into three divisions--Division A, Division B, and Division C--introducing an added competitive edge with promotion and relegation at stake, as per a press release from Hockey India.
Division A, comprising the top 12 performing teams in the country, will see intense action as the defending champions Hockey Jharkhand and last year's runner-up Hockey Madhya Pradesh lead the challenge for the national title. Division B and Division C will serve as competitive battlegrounds for emerging teams to climb the ranks.
*Division Format and Pool Composition
-Division A (Top-tier Championship Division): Teams compete for the title, and two will face relegation.
Pool A: Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Andhra Pradesh
Pool B: Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Chandigarh
Pool C: Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Punjab
Pool D: Hockey Mizoram, Delhi Hockey, Hockey Association of Bihar
Each team will play round-robin matches within their pool. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the Quarterfinals (July 11), followed by the Semifinals (July 12) and the Final & 3rd place playoff (July 14). The bottom two teams in Division A will be relegated to Division B next year.
Also in Division A, if at the end of regulation time a classification match ends in a draw, a shoot-out competition--as specified in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Tournament Regulations--will be conducted to determine the winner.
*Division B (Mid-tier Division): Teams compete for promotion to Division A; bottom two face relegation.
Pool A: Hockey Karnataka, Manipur Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand, Kerala Hockey, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey
Pool B: Hockey Gujarat, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Bengal
*Division C (Entry-level Division): Teams compete for promotion to Division B.
Pool A: Hockey Raj, Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Himachal
Pool B: Assam Hockey, Telangana Hockey, Hockey Jammu and Kashmir, Goans Hockey
Divisions B and C will follow a league format only, with top two teams in each gaining promotion to higher divisions.
Across all divisions, teams will earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 for a loss.
Speaking on the tournament, Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey said, 'The division-based format has brought a new sense of purpose and competitiveness to our domestic structure. The Sub Junior Women's National Championship is a crucial platform for identifying and nurturing talent at the grassroots. Hosting the tournament in Ranchi--home to a strong hockey culture--makes this even more special. We look forward to witnessing top-tier performances from young athletes who are the future of Indian hockey.'
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh added, 'This revamped structure gives every team a clear goal--be it winning the championship, earning promotion, or avoiding relegation. It keeps the excitement alive at every level of the tournament. We are committed to providing equal and meaningful exposure to young girls through well-organised championships like this. Ranchi is ready to host another memorable event.' (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Dilip Tirkey on Pakistan getting nod for tournaments in India: Good for hockey
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey welcomed the decision to allow Pakistan teams to take part in the upcoming multi-nation tournaments in India. A Sports Ministry source confirmed on Thursday to India Today that the Pakistan men's hockey teams will be allowed to travel to India for next month's Asia Cup and the Junior World Cup later this year. The decision was made as blocking Pakistan's participation would contravene the Olympic Charter. The Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in Rajgir, Bihar, from 27 August to 7 September, while the Junior World Cup is set to take place in Chennai and Madurai from 28 November to 10 December. Speaking to PTI, Tirkey said he is yet to receive official confirmation from the ministry yet but this is a good decision for the sport. advertisement"We have not received official information yet and I am also hearing this from the media. But if the government has given approval, then it is a very good decision for hockey," said Tirkey. "India is going to host two important tournaments. The Asia Cup will be held in Rajgir and the Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai, and Pakistan is one of the participating countries."'Good for the publicity of the game' India and Pakistan have been grouped together for the Junior World Cup and Tirkey feels the Asian giants squaring off against each other will be good for the publicity of the game and the success of the tournament. "This is good publicity for the game and it will also be good for the success of the tournament," he said. "We are making our preparations. After the recent tensions between the two countries, this will probably be the first visit of any team from Pakistan to India, so tight security measures will be put in place accordingly."Tirkey also said that he will get in touch with the Pakistan Hockey Federation about the participation of the teams once the picture becomes clear. "There is no recent communication but obviously they are a participant country and we will communicate once the picture is clear," said Tirkey.- EndsMust Watch
NDTV
4 hours ago
- NDTV
Waiting For Ministry Confirmation, But Good Decision To Give Pakistan The Nod: Dilip Tirkey
Former Indian hockey captain and Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey on Thursday welcomed the government's decision to allow the Pakistani team from playing in the upcoming multi-nation tournaments in India, though he said he was yet to get an official confirmation from the sports ministry. A ministry source said on Thursday that Pakistan's hockey teams will not be stopped from competing in next month's Asia Cup and the subsequent Junior World Cup in India as any move to block the arch-foes from multilateral competitions in the country would be a violation of the Olympic Charter. While the Asia Cup is scheduled in Rajgir, Bihar from August 27 to September 7, the Junior World Cup will be organised in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. "We have not received official information yet and I am also hearing this from the media. But if the government has given approval, then it is a very good decision for hockey," the three-time Olympian, who played 412 matches for the country, told PTI Bhasha. "India is going to host two important tournaments. The Asia Cup will be held in Rajgir and the Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai, and Pakistan is one of the participating countries," said the veteran full back, who was called "the wall of Indian Hockey" in his playing days. A former Rajya Sabha MP from the Biju Janata Dal, Tirkey also said that hockey matches between India and Pakistan are good for the promotion of the game because people love to watch the Asian giants play against each other. "This is good publicity for the game and it will also be good for the success of the tournament," he said. "We are making our preparations. After the recent tensions between the two countries, this will probably be the first visit of any team from Pakistan to India, so tight security measures will be put in place accordingly," he said. He added that there has been no talk with the Pakistan Hockey Federation at the moment with regard to the participation of their teams. "There is no recent communication but obviously they are a participant country and we will communicate once the picture is clear," he said. Recalling the India-Pakistan hockey matches during his playing days, Tirkey said that despite the on-field rivalry, there used to be camaraderie among the players. "When I started, our team had legends like Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillay and the Pakistani team had stars like Shahbaz Senior, Tahir Zaman, after which players like Sohail Abbas, Wasim Ahmed, Shakeel Abbasi came. There was great rivalry between the two teams on the field but there was friendship off the field," he said.
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Pakistan men's team cleared to participate in Asia Cup hockey
In a major development, the Pakistan men's hockey team has reportedly been cleared for participation in the upcoming Asia Cup next month. The decision was assured by sports ministry officials on Thursday after clearances were received from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Home Ministry for the same. 'We are not against any team competing in India in a multinational competition. International sports demand that we cannot back out of competing. But bilaterals are different,' the official said. There had been speculation on Pakistan's travel for the event due to ongoing tensions between the two countries but the decision is likely to open up further sporting activities in major upcoming competitions including Junior World Cup shooting, World Para Athletics Championships (both in the national capital) and the FIH Junior World Cup in Chennai in December. Officials, however, stopped short of formally confirming clearances, saying instead that the Pakistan team 'would not be stopped' from travelling. PHF had earlier declared that it would participate, keeping 'sports and politics separate.' Interestingly, both Hockey India representatives and a joint delegation of the sports ministry and IOA met FIH president Tayyab Ikram in Lausanne recently. Bihar State Sports Authority DG and CEO Raveendran Sankaran, host of the tournament, confirmed the development. 'We have received the mail from Hockey India confirming Pakistan's clearance. It's good for the sport but doesn't change anything for us,' he said. Hockey India, however, claimed they haven't yet received any official communique from the ministry. 'We are hearing from the media but we have always said that we will abide by any decision and instruction from the government,' HI secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said. Pakistan last travelled to India for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, finishing fifth in the six-team competition. The Asia Cup is to be held in Rajgir, Bihar from August 27-September 7 and is a qualifying event for the 2026 World Cup.
