~7 Women’s teams and 6 Men’s teams will vie for top honours~
New Delhi, 23rd July 2024: The 2nd Hockey India Sub Junior Men & Women East Zone Championship 2024 is set to commence at the Maulana Md. Tayabullah Hockey Stadium in Guwahati, Assam tomorrow. 7 Women’s and 6 Men’s teams will participate in a bid to win the Zonal Championship.
The Women’s category is divided into two pools. Pool A consists of Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Bihar, and Hockey Bengal. Meanwhile, Pool B features Hockey Jharkhand, Manipur Hockey, Assam Hockey, and Hockey Mizoram. The top two teams at the end of the group stage will advance to the Semi-Finals on 30th July.
The Men’s category will see Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Jharkhand, Manipur Hockey, Hockey Bihar, Assam Hockey, and Hockey Bengal battle each other in a round-robin format, with the top two teams qualifying for the Final on 31st July.
Hockey Jharkhand and Assam Hockey will get the 2nd Hockey India Sub Junior East Zone Championship underway in the Women’s category tomorrow, followed by a match between Hockey Association of Odisha and Hockey Bengal. In the Men’s category Hockey Association of Odisha will take on Hockey Bengal, followed by a contest between Manipur Hockey and Hockey Bihar. Hockey Jharkhand will face Assam Hockey in the last match of the day.
Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey expressed his excitement for the Zonal Championship saying, “It is encouraging to see youngsters pick up hockey sticks and participate in high-level tournaments at a young age. It bodes well for the future of the sport that players are signing up to get the complete experience of being a professional athlete from the beginning. I am excited to see some scintillating hockey action unfold in Guwahati.”
Hockey India Secretary General Shri Bhola Nath Singh said, “There is immense talent in North-East India and we would love nothing more than to provide the framework for youngsters from there to have a chance to excel in the sport. The 2nd Hockey India Sub Junior Men & Women East Zone Championship 2024 aims to unearth exciting hockey talent from this region and give them a platform to further hone their skills.”
