Gwalior: The 4th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women Academy Championship 2026 (Zone A & B) gets underway on Sunday, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, with 15 academies from across the country taking part in the tournament.
The nine-day tournament will culminate on August 3, with the top teams from each pool in the league stage progressing to fight for the title.
The participating teams have been split into four pools. Pool A includes Sports Authority of Gujarat – Hockey Academy, Hockey Family Badhkhalsa NCR Hockey Society and Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy, Sonepat.
Pool B comprises Sports Hockey Academy of Khalsa’s Kolkata, Raja Karan Hockey Academy, R K Roy Hockey Academy and Mumbai Schools Sports Association.
Pool C is made up of Anantapur Sports Academy, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, Roundglass Punjab Hockey Club Academy and Tamil Nadu Hockey Academy.
Pool D consists of Ritu Rani Hockey Academy, Vadipatti Raja Hockey Academy, Bhai Behlo Hockey Academy Bhagta and Cheema Hockey Academy.
Teams will play round-robin fixtures within their pools in the league stage — earning three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss during the league stage. In matches where a result is required, tied contests will be decided by a shoot-out in accordance with FIH Tournament Regulations.
The top-ranked side from each pool advances to the semi-finals on August 2, followed by the third-place play-off and the final on August 3.
Speaking ahead of the championship, Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Tirkey said, “Our Sub-Junior Academy Championship is where we first get to see the future of Indian women’s hockey up close. These are players who are still developing their game, and a tournament of this scale gives them the exposure and competitive intensity they need at this crucial stage of their development. As we prepare to witness some exciting hockey action, we wish every participating team the best.”
Hockey India secretary general Bola Nath Singh added, “Bringing 15 academies together across four pools speaks volumes about how much our grassroots pipeline for women’s hockey has grown. The credit goes to the academies and coaches who have put in their hard work with these young athletes. We thank the Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy for hosting this edition and wish every participating team a memorable championship.”
The action on the opening day will get underway with Sports Authority of Gujarat – Hockey Academy taking on Hockey Family Badhkhalsa NCR Hockey Society at 7:00 am in Pool A.
This will be followed by two Pool B fixtures, with Sports Hockey Academy of Khalsa’s Kolkata facing Raja Karan Hockey Academy at 8:30 am, before R K Roy Hockey Academy takes on Mumbai Schools Sports Association at 10:00 am.
(IANS)
