The 16th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship is set to commence in Pune on Wednesday, featuring a total of 30 teams competing across three divisions. This prestigious tournament will run until August 23, with teams vying not only for the national title but also for opportunities for promotion and relegation within the divisions.
Division Structure and Competition Format
The championship is organized into three divisions: Division 'A', Division 'B', and Division 'C'. This structure allows teams to compete at their respective levels while providing a clear pathway for advancement through the national championship system. In Division 'A', which consists of 12 teams, the teams are divided into four pools. Pool A includes Jharkhand, Punjab, and Chandigarh, while Pool B features Haryana, Odisha, and Bengal. Pool C comprises Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Manipur, and Pool D includes Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
The league stage for Division 'A' will kick off on August 16, with each team facing off against the others in their pool. The top two teams from each pool will progress to the quarterfinals, scheduled for August 20. Following the quarterfinals, the semifinals will take place on August 21, culminating in the 3rd-4th place match and the final on August 23. The stakes are high, as the teams finishing in the 11th and 12th positions will be relegated to Division 'B' for the next tournament.
Promotion and Relegation Across Divisions
Division 'B' features 10 teams split into two pools. Pool A consists of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Kerala, and Mizoram, while Pool B includes Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Goa. The top two teams from Division 'B' will earn promotion to Division 'A', while the bottom two will face relegation to Division 'C'.
In Division 'C', eight teams are also divided into two pools. Pool A includes Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Rajasthan, and Tripura, while Pool B features Puducherry, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, and Telangana. The leading two teams from this division will gain promotion to Division 'B' for the next edition of the championship.
Dilip Tirkey, the president of Hockey India, emphasized the importance of this tournament, stating, "With teams competing across three divisions, the tournament will provide young players with valuable competitive exposure while strengthening the domestic pathway."
