Hockey India Jr Women Academy C’ship: 12 teams vie for honours in Gwalior
Gwalior, July 23 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The 4th Hockey India Junior Women Academy Championship 2026 (Zone A & B) will start on Friday in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. It will gather some of the top junior women’s hockey academies from across the country to highlight the upcoming talent in Indian hockey.
The tournament will last 11 days, ending on August 3, with the best teams from both zones battling for the championship.
Twelve academy teams are split into two pools of six. Each team plays the others in its pool during the league stage. The top two from each pool will advance to the semi-finals on August 2. The tournament concludes with a third-place playoff and the final on August 3.
Pool A includes Raja Karan Hockey Academy, Khalsa Hockey Academy (Amritsar), Sports Authority of Gujarat – Hockey Academy, Hockey Family Badhkhalsa NCR Hockey Society, Tamil Nadu Hockey Academy, and Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy in Sonepat.
Pool B includes Ritu Rani Hockey Academy, Vadipatti Raja Hockey Academy, Bhai Behlo Hockey Academy Bhagta, Mumbai Schools Sports Association, Adyar Hockey Academy, and Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy.
The tournament will operate in a league format during the pool stage, where teams earn three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. In classification matches needing a winner, tied games will be resolved through a shoot-out as per the FIH Tournament Regulations.
Speaking ahead of the championship, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said, “The Junior Women Academy Championship has become an important platform in our efforts to strengthen the grassroots development pathway for women’s hockey in India. The tournament provides young players with an opportunity to compete against some of the best academy talent in the country while gaining valuable experience in a highly competitive environment. We are confident that this championship will help identify future stars who will go on to represent India at the highest level.”
Hockey India Secretary General Bola Nath Singh added, “Academies play a vital role in nurturing young players and preparing them for the next stage of their hockey journey. Championships like these not only promote healthy competition but also provide exposure to talented athletes from across the country. We wish all participating teams the very best and look forward to witnessing exciting hockey over the coming days.”
The opening day action kicks off with Raja Karan Hockey Academy against Khalsa Hockey Academy (Amritsar) at 7:30 AM. This is followed by the Sports Authority of Gujarat – Hockey Academy versus Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy, Sonepat, at 9:00 AM. Hockey Family Badhkhalsa NCR Hockey Society will then compete against Tamil Nadu Hockey Academy at 10:30 AM.
In Pool B, Ritu Rani Hockey Academy will face Vadipatti Raja Hockey Academy at 1:30 PM, and Mumbai Schools Sports Association will compete with Adyar Hockey Academy at 3:00 PM. The day concludes with Bhai Behlo Hockey Academy Bhagta playing against the host, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, at 4:30 PM.
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