New Delhi, July 31 (NationPress) The 15th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship is all set to commence on August 1 in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. This tournament will last until August 12 and will adopt the newly established division-based format, which was previously introduced this year for both the Senior and Sub Junior Men and Women's National Championships.

Featuring 30 teams segmented into three divisions - Division A, Division B, and Division C - teams from Division A and B that finish at the bottom will be demoted to Division B and Division C, respectively. Conversely, the top two teams from Division B and Division C will ascend to Division A and Division B next year.

Division A of the Women's Junior National Championship includes the top 12 teams nationwide, showcasing defending champions Hockey Jharkhand in Pool A, last year's runners-up Hockey Madhya Pradesh in Pool B, and second runners-up Hockey Haryana in Pool C. Meanwhile, Division B and Division C will encompass teams not within the top 12 national rankings, all striving to ascend to a higher division for next year's National Championship.

Division format & pool composition

Division 'A' (Top-tier Championship Division): Competing teams will vie for the title, with the 11th and 12th ranked teams relegated to Division 'B'. Matches for Division A are scheduled to start on August 5.

Pool A: Hockey Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Karnataka

Pool B: Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Punjab, Hockey Chandigarh

Pool C: Hockey Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Bengal

Pool D: Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Andhra Pradesh

In Division 'A', teams will engage in round-robin matches within their pools. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the Quarterfinals on August 9, leading to the semifinals on August 10, and concluding with the Final & 3rd place playoff on August 12. If a match in Division A ends in a draw after regulation time, a shoot-out will be conducted as per FIH Tournament Regulations to determine the winners.

Division 'B' (Mid-tier Division): Division 'B' will only feature league matches, with the top two ranked teams moving up to Division 'A' and the last two relegated to Division 'C'. Matches for Division 'B' will

Pool A: Manipur Hockey, Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand, Kerala Hockey, Assam Hockey

Pool B: Hockey Himachal, Delhi, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Arunachal, Hockey Association of Bihar

Division 'C' (Entry-level Division): Division 'C' will also only have league matches, with the top two teams being promoted to Division 'B'. Matches for Division C will commence on August 1 and conclude on August 4.

Pool A: Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Jammu & Kashmir, Goans Hockey, Tripura

Pool B: Hockey Gujarat, Raj., Hockey Mizoram, Telangana Hockey

Throughout all three divisions, teams will earn 3 points for a victory, 1 point for a tie, and no points for a loss.

Dilip Tirkey, president of Hockey India stated, "Following the Senior Nationals and the Sub Junior Nationals, this new format will now be incorporated into the Junior Nationals tournament. The outcomes from both the Senior and Sub Junior teams have been overwhelmingly positive, and we are optimistic that junior domestic players will equally appreciate this new format."

Echoing his sentiments, Bhola Nath Singh, secretary general of Hockey India, added, "Domestic teams have adapted remarkably to this new structure. With the opportunity to advance to a higher division, teams are giving their utmost effort, whether at the National or Sub Junior level. I am confident that junior teams will greatly benefit from this vital exposure and relish the experience of this innovative format."