Ranchi, April 1 (IANS) Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir all registered victories in their respective matches on the opening day of the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2026, which commenced in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on Wednesday.

In Division ‘B’ of Pool A, late goals from captain Dipika (59’) and Bhawna (60’) helped Delhi Hockey register a 2-0 win against Hockey Bengal.

In the other encounter in Division ‘B’ of Pool A, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu Hockey defeated Assam Hockey 4-3. For the winners, Shraddha Verma (3’), Arpita Maurya (7’), Manshi Yadav (12’), and Anushka Gupta (30’) contributed one goal each, while Bhumika Devi (28’), Chayanika Kalita (35’), and Jyoshna Ekka (57’) were the goal scorers for Assam Hockey.

In a Division ‘B’, Pool B match, goals from captain Aanchal (13’) and Kafi (60’) helped Hockey Chandigarh beat Hockey Karnataka 2-1. Madiwalappa Basamma was the lone goalscorer for Karnataka.

In another Division ‘B’, Pool B match, Hockey Uttarakhand defeated Hockey Himachal 6-3. For the winners, Kareena scored a hat-trick (34’, 45’, 52’), Devyani Joshi scored a brace (25’, 32’), and Katariya Gungun (20’) contributed one goal. Ekampreet Kaur (23’, 41’) and Shanvi Sharma (43’) scored for Himachal.

In a Division ‘C’, Pool B match, Hockey Jammu and Kashmir beat Le Puducherry Hockey 3-2 in a close encounter. Akshara Dutta (8’, 44’) scored a brace, and Mauki (4’) contributed one for the winners, while Giraka Gnaneswari (15’) and Boya Shruthi (39’) scored for Le Puducherry.

The tournament will run until 12th April and will be played in the competitive division-based format, which was introduced by Hockey India across national championships last year.

A total of 29 teams will compete across Division ‘A’, Division ‘B’, and Division ‘C’, with promotion and relegation adding intensity to the competition. While Division ‘A’ teams will vie for the championship title, the top two teams from Divisions ‘B’ and ‘C’ will earn promotion. Meanwhile, the bottom two teams in Divisions ‘A’ and ‘B’ will face relegation for the next edition.

Division ‘A’ features 12 teams divided into four pools, with the knockout stages scheduled from April 9 onwards, culminating in the Final on April 12. The hosts, Hockey Jharkhand, headline Pool A and will be joined by Bihar (BSSA) and Hockey Maharashtra. Pool B includes Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Punjab, and Hockey Andhra Pradesh. In Pool C, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, and Manipur Hockey will compete, while Pool D comprises Hockey Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, and Chhattisgarh Hockey.

Matches will be held at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi. Across all divisions, teams will earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. In Division ‘A’, tied knockout matches will be decided via shoot-outs as per FIH regulations.

–IANS

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