New Delhi
Thirty teams from across the country will compete in the 16th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2026, which begins in Pune, Maharashtra, on August 12 and runs until August 23.
The championship will be played across three divisions — A, B and C — providing teams with opportunities to compete for the national title as well as earn promotion or avoid relegation. The format is designed to strengthen India’s domestic hockey structure and provide young players with regular high-level competition.
Hockey India president Dilip Kumar Tirkey said the Junior Women National Championship was an important platform for identifying and developing the next generation of Indian hockey talent. Secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said the division-based system would encourage healthy competition while giving teams a pathway to progress through the national structure.
Division A features 12 teams divided into four pools. Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Punjab and Hockey Chandigarh form Pool A, while Pool B consists of Hockey Haryana, Hockey Odisha Association and Hockey Bengal. Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Maharashtra and Manipur Hockey are in Pool C, with Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Hockey Himachal in Pool D.
The Division A league stage begins on August 16. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the knockout stage. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are scheduled for August 21, while the third-place match and final will be played on August 23. The teams finishing 11th and 12th will be relegated to Division B.
Division B has 10 teams, with the top two earning promotion to Division A and the bottom two dropping to Division C. Division C features eight teams, with its top two sides earning promotion to Division B.
The tournament opens on August 12 with Division B and C matches, while Division A action begins on August 16. The championship is expected to provide emerging players with valuable exposure and help teams progress through India’s competitive domestic hockey pathway.