7th women’s Sub Junior Hockey Nationals from January 4

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) The 7th women's Sub Junior National Hockey Championship will begin from Wednesday in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram. The annual event will feature 20 teams in A Division and 20 teams in B Division.

The tournament will be flagged off with B division matches between January 4 and 13 while the A Division matches will commence from January 11 and conclude on January 22. The tournament will be played at the SDAT Velumanickam Synthetic Hockey Stadium.

The A Division will include four pools with five teams each featuring defending champions Sports Authority of India, Hockey Punjab (2016 runners-up), Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy (2016 second runners-up), Hockey Haryana, Hockey Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Delhi Hockey, Hockey Karnataka, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Gangpur- Odisha, Hockey Bihar, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Odisha, Hockey Patiala, Hockey Mizoram, Bengal Hockey Association and Hockey Andhra Pradesh and Hockey Maharashtra.

B Division too will feature four pools with five teams in each pool that include Assam Hockey, Citizen Hockey XI, The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd, Mumbai School Sports Association, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, Sports Authority of Gujarat- Hockey Academy, Hockey Uttarakhand, Hockey Rajasthan, Hockey Gujarat, Hockey Puducherry, Hockey Bhopal, Goans Hockey, Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association, Vidarbha Hockey Association, Kerala Hockey, Hockey Himachal, Hockey Coorg, Hockey Madhya Bharat, Telangana Hockey and Hockey Him.

The tournament this year is expected to be a preferred hunting ground for selectors, given the recent upsurge in hockey in India thanks to the incredible performances in the Junior World Cup, as well as the senior men's and women's teams consistent show through the year.