Published: July 27, 2026 at 8:19 pm
The 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 is all set to begin on Tuesday (July 28) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where the country’s finest junior men’s hockey teams will compete over 12 days in one of Hockey India’s premier domestic competitions. The tournament will conclude on August 8, with the Division ‘A’ Final deciding the national champions.
A total of 30 teams will participate across Division ‘A’, Division ‘B’, and Division ‘C’, with promotion and relegation adding further significance to every fixture. While Division ‘A’ teams will compete for the championship title, teams in Divisions ‘B’ and ‘C’ will battle for promotion to the next division.
Division ‘A’ features 12 teams divided into four pools of three teams each. Pool A comprises Hockey Haryana, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, and Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu. Pool B consists of Hockey Association of Odisha, Manipur Hockey, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey. Pool C includes Hockey Punjab, Hockey Jharkhand, and Delhi Hockey, while Pool D features Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Karnataka, and Hockey Bengal.
Following the league stage, the top two teams from each pool will qualify for the quarterfinals, scheduled on August 5, followed by the semifinals on August 6, with the third-place playoff and final to be played on August 8.
Telangana junior hockey team will battle it out on Pool B of Division C. Telangana Hockey will play Tripura Olympic Association at 9:00 am
The bottom two ranked teams in Division ‘A’ will be relegated to Division ‘B’.
Division ‘B’ comprises 10 teams divided into two pools of five teams each. Pool A features Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Uttarakhand, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, Hockey Himachal, and Kerala Hockey, while Pool B consists of Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Arunachal, Bihar (BSSA), and Chhattisgarh Hockey. The top two teams from Division ‘B’ will earn promotion to Division ‘A’, while the bottom two teams will be relegated to Division ‘C’.
Division ‘C’ will see 8 teams compete across two pools. Pool A includes Assam Hockey, Goans Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan, and Hockey Mizoram, while Pool B features Telangana Hockey, Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Gujarat, and Tripura Olympic Association. The top two teams from Division ‘C’ will secure promotion to Division ‘B’.
The tournament will follow a league format during the pool stage, with teams earning three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. In Division ‘A’ classification matches where a winner is required, tied contests will be decided through a shoot-out in accordance with the FIH Tournament Regulations.
Speaking ahead of the championship, Hockey India president Dr Dilip Tirkey said: “The Junior Men National Championship continues to play a crucial role in strengthening India’s hockey ecosystem by providing young players with a highly competitive platform to showcase their abilities. Many players who have excelled at this level have gone on to represent the country internationally, and we are confident this edition will once again unearth exceptional talent. We wish all participating teams the very best for the tournament.”
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh added: “The Junior Men National Championship is an important step in the development pathway for aspiring hockey players across the country. The tournament not only provides valuable match experience but also encourages healthy competition among state teams through the promotion and relegation format. We look forward to witnessing exciting hockey and congratulate all teams for earning the opportunity to compete at this prestigious event.”
Action on the opening day will begin with Assam Hockey taking on Hockey Mizoram in a Division ‘C’ Pool A match at 6 am, followed by Goans Hockey facing Hockey Rajasthan at 7:30 am. In Pool B of Division ‘C’, Telangana Hockey will play Tripura Olympic Association at 9:00 am, before Le Puducherry Hockey meet Hockey Gujarat at 10:30 am.
Division ‘B’ action will then commence with Hockey Maharashtra taking on Hockey Himachal at 12:00 pm, followed by Hockey Uttarakhand against Kerala Hockey at 1:30 pm. Later in the day, Hockey Andhra Pradesh will face Bihar (BSSA) at 3:00 pm, while Hockey Chandigarh will take on Chhattisgarh Hockey at 4:30 pm.
Division ‘A’ matches will begin from 1 August.
