Hockey India set to resume domestic season from October

The national calendar was postponed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The much-awaited Hockey India domestic season is scheduled to resume in October this year after the pandemic halted the national calendar in March due to the second wave. While recommencing the domestic calendar following the euphoric success of the Indian Men and Women's Hockey Teams at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has been a top priority for the federation, the Federation has instructed the host State Member Units and participating teams to take strict precautions and enforce all the covid protocols established by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and respective state governments, as well as Hockey India's robust guidelines to host domestic events. 

The season will recommence with the 1st Hockey India Sub Junior Men Academy National Championship 2021 will be held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. This coveted Championship will be held from 4 October to 13 October 2021. The 1st Hockey India Junior Men Academy National Championships 2021 will also be held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh starting from 18 October to 27 October 2021. Meanwhile, the 1st Hockey India Junior Women Inter-Department National Championship 2021 scheduled for October this year will be held in the national Capital New Delhi. 

The 11th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2021 will be held in Simdega, Jharkhand in the month of October 2021 while the 11th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2021 too is being scheduled for the month of October in Telangana. The 11th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2021 is provisionally scheduled to be held at Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh in the month of October. 

Expressing excitement over the resumption of the Hockey India National Championships, President Gyanendro Ningombam stated, "There is a lot of euphoria following the success of Indian Men and Women's Hockey Teams at the Tokyo Olympics and we wanted to ensure this excitement translates into the playing field."

"With this intent, we announce the resumption of the domestic calendar. We had to halt abruptly in March this year due to the rise in cases across the country but with things looking up on the covid front, we felt it is safe to resume under covid guidelines," he added. 

"Hockey India has strictly instructed its state member units who are hosting these tournaments as well as participating teams to follow all the COVID protocols and ensure a safe environment for the athletes to perform. I wish all the participating teams the very best in their preparations for the upcoming Championships," Ningombam added. 

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