New Delhi, July 2
The 15th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship 2025 is set to begin on July 3 at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The tournament will run until July 14 and will follow the newly introduced division-based format, which was first implemented earlier this year during the Senior Men's and Women’s National Championships.
This year’s edition will feature 28 teams divided into three divisions — Division A, Division B, and Division C — introducing an added competitive edge with promotion and relegation at stake.
Division A, comprising the top 12 performing teams in the country, will see intense action as the defending champions Hockey Jharkhand and last year’s runner-up Hockey Madhya Pradesh lead the challenge for the national title. Division B and Division C will serve as competitive battlegrounds for emerging teams to climb the ranks.
Each team will play round-robin matches within its pool. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the Quarterfinals (11 July), followed by the Semifinals (12 July) and the Final & 3rd place playoff (14 July). The bottom two teams in Division A will be relegated to Division B next year.
Also in Division A, if at the end of regulation time a classification match ends in a draw, a shoot-out competition—as specified in the FIH Tournament Regulations—will be conducted to determine the winner.
Divisions B and C will follow a league format only, with the top two teams in each gaining promotion to higher divisions.
Across all divisions, teams will earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.
Speaking at the tournament, Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Tirkey said, “The division-based format has brought a new sense of purpose and competitiveness to our domestic structure. The Sub Junior Women's National Championship is a crucial platform for identifying and nurturing talent at the grassroots. Hosting the tournament in Ranchi—home to a strong hockey culture—makes this even more special. We look forward to witnessing top-tier performances from young athletes who are the future of Indian hockey.â€
Hockey India Secretary General Shri Bhola Nath Singh added, “This revamped structure gives every team a clear goal—be it winning the championship, earning promotion, or avoiding relegation. It keeps the excitement alive at every level of the tournament. We are committed to providing equal and meaningful exposure to young girls through well-organised championships like this. Ranchi is ready to host another memorable event.â€
Nationals format and groupings:
Division Format & Pool Composition
Division A (Top-tier Championship Division): Teams compete for the title, and two will face relegation.
Pool A: Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Andhra Pradesh
Pool B: Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Chandigarh
Pool C: Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Punjab
Pool D: Hockey Mizoram, Delhi Hockey, Hockey Association of Bihar
Division B (Mid-tier Division): Teams compete for promotion to Division A; the bottom two face relegation.
Pool A: Hockey Karnataka, Manipur Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand, Kerala Hockey, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu Hockey
Pool B: Hockey Gujarat, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Bengal
Division C (Entry-level Division): Teams compete for promotion to Division B.
Pool A: Hockey Raj, Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Himachal
Pool B: Assam Hockey, Telangana Hockey, Hockey Jammu and Kashmir, Goans Hockey.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone from Ranchi, I'm so proud our city is hosting this! Our girls have been practicing hard at the Astroturf stadium. Hope to see more tournaments come to smaller hockey hubs like ours 🤞
Good initiative but Hockey India should ensure equal facilities for all teams. Some states have better training infrastructure than others. How will Bihar compete with Jharkhand when they don't even have proper astroturf?
My daughter is participating from Maharashtra team! This tournament means everything to these young players. The new format gives everyone a fair chance to rise through divisions. Wishing all teams best of luck! 💛
Great to see smaller states like Mizoram getting representation in Division A! Hockey is truly becoming a pan-India sport. Hope this inspires more kids from Northeast to take up the game.
The promotion-relegation system is brilliant! Now every match matters, even for teams at the bottom. This is how we'll build depth in women's hockey. Kudos to Dr. Tirkey for implementing this ðŸ‘
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