Gwalior: The appetite of the hockey aficionados continues to be satisfied as the 1st Hockey India Junior and Sub Junior Women Academy Championships (Zone A) is set to kick off at the Madhya Pradesh Women Hockey Academy here on Thursday, with the final scheduled for October 19.
The Junior category will see the participation of five teams- Khalsa Hockey Academy (Amritsar), Bhai Behlo Hockey Academy Bhagta, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, Salute Hockey Academy and HIM Academy.
Khalsa Hockey Academy (Amritsar), Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, Raja Karan Hockey Academy, Ghumanhera Riser’s Academy, and Meghbaran Singh Hockey Academy will compete for the title in the Sub Junior Women category.
This championship, aimed at unearthing young talent across the nation, persists with Hockey India’s unrelenting efforts in taking the sport to new heights through their grassroots development initiative.
The 1st Hockey India Junior and Sub Junior Women Academy Championship 2023 – (Zone A) will begin in a league format that will be played from the October 12 to 18.
The top two teams after the completion of the group stage in both the Junior and Sub Junior Women’s categories will secure places in the championship showdown on October 19.
Meanwhile, the teams that finish third and fourth in the pool stages will battle it out for the 3rd/4th place honor, ensuring mouth-watering battles from start to finish.
In the group stage, teams will earn three points for a win, while a draw will reward each team with one point. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, a shoot-out will decide the victor, adding an extra layer of excitement to the classification matches.
Following the enthralling matches in Zone A which consists of top Academies from the North, the Hockey India Junior and Sub Junior Women Academy Championships in Zone B will take place, comprising of academies from the rest of India, at the end of which three teams will be formed to play an Inter Zone Academy Championship.
As the nation awaits this highly anticipated tournament, the vision of Hockey India to bring the next generation of hockey stars to light is evident as they embark on the journey to significantly contribute to the growth of the sport in India for which the Junior and Sub Junior Women Academy Championships provide an ideal platform.
“We’re delighted to kick off the Hockey India Junior and Sub Junior Academy Championships in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in a bid to further nurture grassroots talents as part of our long-term goals,” said Hockey India President Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey.
“We believe that this tournament will help the players develop and become better at their game as they hone their skills to the best of their abilities,” he added.
Secretary General Bola Nath Singh emphasized the abundance of opportunities provided to the young players.
He said “The Junior and Sub Junior Women Academy Championships provide a wonderful platform for all the talents to showcase their prowess and build on their experience of playing high-quality hockey. The passion towards the game is unmatched and we would like to leave no stone unturned in providing every possible opportunity for this sport to grow in the country.”
