Hockey India Senior Men Inter-Department Championship begins in Hyderabad
Defending champions PSPB will lead a 20-team field at the 6th Hockey India Senior Men Inter-Department National Championship at Hyderabad's Gachibowli Hockey Stadium from September 4 to 13, with several Olympians and international players set to feature
Hyderabad: Defending champions Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) will look to extend their reign when the 6th Hockey India Senior Men Inter-Department National Championship 2026 gets under way at the Gachibowli Hockey Stadium here from September 4 to 13.
The tournament will feature 20 teams, with several players who have represented India set to take part.
Some of the Olympians who will be seen in action are Surender, Varun Kumar, Kothajeet Singh and Devinder Walmiki.
Apart from them, international players such as Vikas Dahiya, Harjit Singh, Gurjot Singh, Affan Yousuf, Talwinder Singh, Dipson Tirkey and Sudeep Chermako will also showcase their skills.
The teams have been divided into four pools of five teams each. The teams will play each other within their respective pools, with the top two teams from each pool qualifying for the quarterfinals, scheduled for September 10. The semifinals will be held on September 12 and the final on September 13.
A win will fetch three points, while each team will receive one point in the event of a draw.
Last year, PSPB registered a 3-0 win over the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) in the final at the Naval Tata Hockey Academy ISWP Ground in Jamshedpur. In the third-place playoff, the Services Sports Control Board edged the Food Corporation of India (FCI) 3-2 in a shootout after the teams were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time.
This year, the top four teams have been placed in different pools. PSPB lead the challenge in Pool A and will have to contend with the likes of Central Secretariat and Punjab National Bank, who finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the fifth edition of the tournament last year.
PSPB, however, may not have to break a sweat on their way to the quarterfinals. They will take on Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in their opening match.
Last year’s runners-up, the Comptroller & Auditor General of India, are in Pool B and could face competition from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Punjab & Sind Bank, who finished seventh and 10th, respectively, last year. CAG will open their campaign on September 4 with a clash against the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at 8 am.
The Services Sports Control Board have been placed in Pool C and could face a challenge from the All India Police Sports Control Board, who finished sixth last season. The Services Sports Control Board will take on the Steel Plant Sports Board in their opening pool match.
The Food Corporation of India are in Pool D and will have the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) for company. FCI will face Tamil Nadu Police in their opening match.
A team managers’ meeting will be held on September 3, while September 11 has been designated as a rest day.
After the FIH Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, held in March 2026, hockey returns to the Gachibowli Hockey Stadium with the 6th Hockey India Senior Men Inter-Department National Championship 2026.
Suresh Battini, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, AP and Telangana, will be the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony to be held on September 4.
The pools
Pool A: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), Central Secretariat, Punjab National Bank, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), ITBP Central Hockey Team.
Pool B: Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG), Sports Authority of India (SAI), Punjab & Sind Bank, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Defence Accounts Sports Control Board.
Pool C: Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), All India Police Sports Control Board, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Steel Plant Sports Board, Union Bank of India (UBI).
Pool D: Food Corporation of India (FCI), Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Tamil Nadu Police, Canara Bank.
