Jhansi, Apr 3: The 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship, set to take place from April 4 to 15 at the Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, will be played in the same new division-based format as the Senior Women National Championship was played in March.

The domestic competition, which will now also feature promotion and relegation battles, will see the 30 teams participating, divided into three divisions: Division A, Division B, and Division C.

Division A will be the highest division, as the teams will fight for the championship title. Division B will have teams competing for promotion to Division A next season, while in Division C, the teams will fight for a spot in Division B for the next edition.

Division A includes the top 12 teams in India based on their overall performances in the tournament over the years. Defending champions Hockey Association of Odisha and runners-up Hockey Haryana are also part of Division A.

The teams in Division A are split into four pools; Pool A features Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Punjab and Hockey Madhya Pradesh while Hockey Haryana, Hockey Maharashtra and Hockey Jharkhand are placed in Pool B. Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Hockey Bengal are in Pool C and Pool D includes Manipur Hockey, Hockey Karnataka and Le Puducherry Hockey.

Each team will play every opponent once in their respective pools. This will be the only division featuring a knockout stage as the top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, scheduled for April 12, followed by the semifinals on April 13, and the final and 3rd/4th place match on April 15. The bottom two teams from Division A will be relegated to Division B for the next edition.

In Division B, 10 teams will compete for promotion to Division A. The teams are divided into two pools.

Pool A: Hockey Chandigarh, Goans Hockey, Telangana Hockey, Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Uttarakhand.

Pool B: Delhi Hockey, Hockey Mizoram, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Kerala Hockey, Assam Hockey.

The top two teams from Division B will earn promotion to Division A for the next season, while the bottom two will be relegated to Division C.

Eight teams in Division C will compete for promotion to Division B. The teams are divided into two pools.

Pool A: Hockey Rajasthan, Hockey Arunachal, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, Tripura Hockey.

Pool B: Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Himachal, Hockey Association of Bihar, Hockey Gujarat.

Similarly, the teams in Division C will only play league matches, with the top two teams securing promotion to Division B.

The points system in all three divisions is the same. Each team will be awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss.

In Division A, the league stage will be followed by the knockout rounds, while Divisions B and C will conclude with final standings determined by points won in the pool matches.

Commenting on the tournament, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said, “The new format worked out really well during the senior women national championship and we are looking forward to see how it unfolds this time as well. With promotion and relegation at stake, I expect to see teams give it their all on the pitch and play some exceptional hockey.”

Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh added, “This is a very crucial tournament for us in terms of scouting upcoming talent for the international tournaments coming ahead. Over the recent years, we have seen a brilliant level of hockey being played in domestic tournaments and I am sure the players will push themselves and grow a lot due to the tight competition. We wish all the participating players, coaches and support staff good luck.”

The Division B and C matches are scheduled to begin on April 4, while the Division A matches will commence on April 8.

On the first day, Hockey Rajasthan will face Tripura Hockey, Hockey Arunachal will take on Hockey Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh Hockey will play Hockey Gujarat and Hockey Himachal will face Hockey Association of Bihar in Division C.

Later in Division B, Hockey Chandigarh will play Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Goans Hockey clashes against Hockey Uttarakhand, Delhi Hockey faces Hockey Kerala, and to end the proceedings of day one, Hockey Mizoram will face Assam Hockey.

(IANS)

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