Published: September 10, 2026 at 1:51 pm
After an engrossing six days of play with 40 matches done and dusted, the 6th Hockey India Senior Men Inter-Department National Championships 2026 gets to the business end of the tournament with the quarterfinals scheduled to be held at the Gachibowli Hockey Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday.
CAG thump Defence 10-2 to enter QFs; PSPB, SAI, PNB, FCI, CBDT, Railway & Police qualify
Last year’s champions Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), runners-up Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG), semifinalist Food Corporation of India along with dominant Railway Sports Promotion Board, Sports Authority of India, Punjab National Bank, All India Police Sports Control Board and Central Board of Direct Taxes have made the cut.
Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) topped Pool A to march into the quarterfinals. Pics: Mohd Hadi
Services Sports Control Board, who had finished third last year, are out of the knock-outs this time. The Services team, who were placed in Pool C, lost out on goal difference.
Services lose out to Police, CBDT
In what turned out to be a pool of death, Pool C was the toughest one in this tournament. Pitted against the likes of All India Police Sports Control Board, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Union Bank of India and Steel Plant Sports Board, Services won three out of four games but still found themselves out of contention.
Services Sports Control Board lost out of the quarterfinals despite winning three matches because of an inferior goal difference
All India Police Sports Control Board and Central Board of Direct Taxes also won three games apiece and the three teams ended up with nine points each. However, All India Police Sports Control Board topped the pool because they had a goal difference of 7. They scored 12 goals and conceded only 5. Central Board of Direct Taxes ended up second because their goal difference was 6. They had scored 16 goals but conceded only 10.
On the other hand, Services had a goal difference of four. They had also scored 16 goals but had conceded 12 which went against them in the final count. Services 5-2 loss to Central Board of Direct Taxes proved their undoing.
All India Police topped Pool C and made it to the quarters along with Central Board of Direct Taxes
Central Board of Direct Taxes, who had failed to finish among the Top 10 teams last year, have made it to the knock-out stage assuring themselves of a place among the Top eight teams this year.
PSPB looked in good form
Defending champions Petroleum Sports Promotion Board looked in commanding form but failed to take full points from Punjab National Bank. PSPB finished their league phase with three wins and a draw to top Pool A.
Punjab National Bank had two wins and two draws to their credit and made it to the quarterfinals from pool A
Punjab National Bank had two wins and two draws to their credit and made it to the quarterfinals. PNB’s other draw was against Central Secretariat, who will be out of the Top eight this year.
CAG kept a clean slate
In Pool B, last year’s runners-up Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) kept a clean slate with four wins out of four games. However, CAG were given a tough time by both Punjab & Sind Bank and Sports Authority of India. In both games, CAG managed to eke out a 5-4 win. Credit needs to be given to the CAG players who were resilient enough to bounce back and hold their nerve in trying matches.
Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) kept a clean slate in pool D to book their quarterfinal berth
Sports Authority of India made the knock-outs by finishing second with three wins and a loss. Punjab & Sind Bank, who are coached by Olympian Alloysius Edwards, failed to make the grade.
Railway too were unbeaten
Like CAG, Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) too kept a clean slate with four wins. But unlike CAG, the Railway players were not tested by the others in the pool. They scored 27 goals, the second highest in the tournament with SAI getting 32, and conceded just four.
Food Corporation of India, who finished fourth last year, kept their date with another solid performance in the league phase. The FCI players will be hoping to emulate their last year’s show.
Food Corporation of India, who finished fourth last year, kept their quarterfinal date with another solid performance in the league phase
Quarterfinalists: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, Punjab National Bank, Comptroller & Auditor General of India, Sports Authority of India, All India Police Sports Control Board, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Railway Sports Promotion board & Food Corporation of India.
Quarterfinal line-up: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board vs Sports Authority of India; Railway Sports Promotion board vs Central Board of Direct Taxes; Comptroller & Auditor General of India vs Punjab National Bank; All India Police Sports Control Board vs Food Corporation of India.
