New Delhi. The 14th edition of the Senior Men's Hockey National Championship is set to begin on Monday at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. A total of 31 teams divided into eight pools will participate in this tournament, which will run till November 16. During the league stage, each team will play against every other team in its pool. The top team from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals on 13 November, followed by the semifinals on 15 November and the final on 16 November and a playoff for 3rd4th place.
Pool A comprises defending champions Hockey Punjab along with Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey and Chhattisgarh Hockey. Pool B includes Hockey Haryana, Hockey Telangana, Hockey Himachal and Hockey Mizoram. Pool C comprises Hockey Unites States of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Andhra Pradesh and Hockey Andaman and Nicobar.
Pool D comprises Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Uttarakhand and Hockey Tripura. In Pool E, Hockey Association of Odisha will compete against Hockey Puducherry, Hockey Rajasthan and Hockey Arunachal. Pool F comprises Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Delhi Hockey, Kerala Hockey and Hockey Jammu and Kashmir. Pool G includes Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Goa and Hockey Gujarat.
Pool H comprises Manipur Hockey, Hockey Bengal, Hockey Bihar and Assam Hockey. The tournament will begin with a host of matches, including Hockey Uttar Pradesh vs Hockey Kerala and Hockey Karnataka vs Hockey Uttarakhand, among other exciting fixtures, setting the stage for an exciting championship.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his excitement for the upcoming tournament, saying, “We are delighted to host the 14th Hockey India Senior Men's National Championship in Chennai, a city with a rich hockey heritage. This championship will bring together the best from across the country It provides a platform to showcase talent and is an important event in developing the future stars of Indian hockey. I wish all the teams the best of luck to compete for the top honours.”
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh echoed this sentiment, saying, “This championship promises high quality hockey and tough competition. We have seen a tremendous increase in participation, and it is encouraging to see the enthusiasm from all corners of the country. I Looking forward to some exciting matches as the teams compete for the coveted title.”
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Image Credit: KhasKhabar.