Hockey India announces the dates for 6th Hockey India National Championships 2016

Hockey India, the apex body governing the sport of field hockey in India, today announced the dates for the 6th Hockey India National Championships 2016. The tournaments are an annual event featuring the best hockey players across India in the senior, junior and sub-junior categories.

Played for both men and women the sixth edition of tournament will begin from the 29th January 2016 at Nagaon, Assam. The Sub-Junior division of the 6th Hockey India National Championships will be played in two categories viz; A & B for the women at Guwahati and Nagaon in Assam from the 29th January - 16th February 2016, while Imphal in Manipur would host the men from the 6th – 22nd May 2016.

The senior division matches similarly would be played at Saifai, Itawa, Uttar Pradesh from the 11th April – 1st May 2016 for the men’s teams and at Bengaluru, Karnataka from 19th April – 1st May 2016 for the women’s teams. The junior division matches would be held for both men and women across two categories at Raipur, Chattisgarh from the 12th – 24th April 2016 for the men’s teams and Ranchi, Jharkhand would host the women’s teams from the 24th April – 8th May 2016.




Speaking on the occasion, Hockey India Secretary General Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said, “I am delighted and eager for the action to begin in the 6th Hockey India National Championships from January 2016. These championships have brought forward the future stars of Indian hockey and its nothing less than an honour to see how youngsters from all corners of the country are working hard towards making a career for themselves in the sport. I am confident that the national championships next year are going to unearth some bright future stars for Indian hockey.”


The 6th edition of the Hockey India National Championship will see the Railways Sports Promotion Board defend their titles in both the Senior Men and Senior Women categories. Similarly, Hockey Odisha would play to defend the Junior Men title while Hockey Haryana would be defending the Junior Women title. Hockey Odisha and Hockey Punjab would be defending the Sub - Junior Men and Women category respectively.

The national championships traditionally form the base for all future recruits into the national programs of the senior, junior and sub-junior categories, and this tournament boasts of showcasing the talent of over 3000 budding hockey stars from all corners of the Indian sub-continent.

The tournament this year is expected to be a preferred hunting ground for various selectors from across the country, given the recent upsurge of the sport of Hockey in India thanks to a consistent performance from the Indian men and eves and their qualification for the much awaited Rio Olympics 2016.

Please find mentioned below the schedule for the 6th Hockey India National Championships 2016.

SCHEDULE

6th HOCKEY INDIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016
S. No.			Men		Women
			Location	Date	Location	Date
1	Senior Division	A	Saifai, Itawa, Uttar Pradesh	19 April to 1 May	Bangalore, Karnataka	25 April to 1 May
		B	Saifai, Itawa, Uttar Pradesh	11 to 21 April	Bangalore, Karnataka	19 to 27 April
2	Junior Division	A	Raipur, Chhattisgarh	18 to 24 April	Ranchi, Jharkhand	30 April to 8 May
		B	Raipur, Chhattisgarh	12 to 20 April	Ranchi, Jharkhand	24 April to 2 May
3	Sub Junior Division	A	Imphal, Manipur	14 to 22 May	Guwahati, Assam	8 to 16 February
		B	Imphal, Manipur	6 to 16 May	Nagaon, Assam	29 January to 6 February