Jhansi, 09 October (H.S.): The Hockey India Senior Men’s National Championship 2026 will begin in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, on October 10, with 29 teams competing across three divisions in the tournament, which will conclude on October 21. The Division A final is scheduled to take place on the final day of the championship.

The 16th edition of the competition will feature matches in Divisions A, B and C. Teams have been allocated to the three divisions based on their rankings in the 2025 edition. The championship will provide teams from across the country with an opportunity to showcase their talent and compete for national honours.

In the previous edition, Hockey Punjab defeated Hockey Madhya Pradesh 4–1 in the Division A final to clinch the title at the 15th Senior Men’s National Hockey Championship 2025. Hockey Uttar Pradesh secured third place after defeating Manipur Hockey 5–1 in the bronze-medal match.

## Division A to Feature 12 Teams, Matches Begin October 14

A total of 12 teams have been divided into four pools in Division A.

Pool A comprises Hockey Punjab, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Hockey Bengal. Pool B features Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Maharashtra and Le Puducherry Hockey. Pool C includes Hockey Uttar Pradesh, Hockey Karnataka and Hockey Chandigarh, while Pool D consists of Manipur Hockey, Hockey Haryana and Delhi Hockey.

Division A matches will begin on October 14, with the pool stage followed by the knockout rounds. 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 be played on October 19, while the third-place playoff and the final are scheduled for October 21.

## Division B to Feature 10 Teams, Division C Seven

Division B will feature 10 teams divided into two pools.

Pool A comprises Hockey Association of Odisha, Assam Hockey, Kerala Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh Hockey. Pool B includes Hockey Jharkhand, Telangana Hockey, Goans Hockey, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Hockey, and Hockey Arunachal.

Division C will feature seven teams competing across two pools. Pool A consists of Hockey Mizoram, Hockey Himachal and Hockey Jammu and Kashmir. Pool B comprises Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Rajasthan, Bihar (BSSA) and Hockey Gujarat.

Matches in both Division B and Division C will begin on October 10, marking the start of the championship.

Teams across all three divisions will be eager to make a strong start to their campaigns and build momentum as they pursue the national title. With 29 teams competing across the divisions, the championship is expected to provide a valuable platform for players to demonstrate their abilities and strengthen their prospects in domestic hockey.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar