A total of 31 teams will fight for the top honours at the 14th edition of the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship set to begin here on Monday.
The 31 teams were divided into eight pools, and the tournament will conclude on November 16.
During the league stage, each team will play against every other side in their pool.
The top team from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals to be played on November 13, followed by semifinals on November 15, and the final and 3rd/4th place play-off match on November 16.
Pool A features defending champions Hockey Punjab along with Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu Hockey and Chhattisgarh Hockey.
Pool B includes Hockey Haryana, Telangana Hockey, Hockey Himachal, and Hockey Mizoram, while Pool C comprises Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Andhra Pradesh, and Hockey Andaman & Nicobar.
Pool D consists of Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Uttarakhand, and Tripura Hockey.
In Pool E, Hockey Association of Odisha will compete with Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan, and Hockey Arunachal, while Pool F includes Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Delhi Hockey, Kerala Hockey, and Hockey Jammu and Kashmir.
Pool G consists of Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Maharashtra, Goans Hockey, and Hockey Gujarat, while Pool H features Manipur Hockey, Hockey Bengal, Hockey Bihar, and Assam Hockey.
The tournament will open with a series of matches, including Uttar Pradesh Hockey vs Kerala Hockey and Hockey Karnataka vs Hockey Uttarakhand, among other exciting fixtures, setting the stage for a thrilling championship.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming tournament.
“We are delighted to host the 14th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship in Chennai, a city with a rich hockey legacy. This championship provides a platform for showcasing the best talent from across the country and is a key event in developing the future stars of Indian hockey. I wish all the teams the very best as they compete for top honours,” Tirkey said.
