New Delhi, Jul 20 (IANS): The 2nd Hockey India junior men & women west zone championship 2024 is all set to take place in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh from July 21 to 28.

The participating teams are divided into two pools in the women's category. Pool A consists of Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh Hockey, and Hockey Gujarat. Pool B includes Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Rajasthan, Goans Hockey, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey. The competition format will be a round-robin within each pool, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semi-finals.

The men’s category features six teams in a single pool: Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Gujarat, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Rajasthan, and Goans Hockey. The top two teams from the round-robin will advance to the final, while the third and fourth-placed teams will compete for third place in a knockout fixture.

“We are looking forward to the 2nd Hockey India Junior Men & Women West Zone Championship which will bring together promising young talent from the region,” said Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey. “This championship is about learning and developing as players. It offers a good platform for young players to showcase their abilities and gain significant experience,” he added.

“Our aim is to nurture the junior players and give them the best possible exposure,” said secretary general Hockey India, Bhola Nath Singh. “Competitions like these are instrumental in building their confidence and preparing them for the higher levels of the sport.”

The opening day of the competition will feature Hockey Madhya Pradesh clashing with Goans Hockey, and Hockey Rajasthan taking on Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu Hockey in the women’s category. In the men’s category, Hockey Madhya Pradesh will play Goans Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan faces Hockey Gujarat and Hockey Maharashtra squares off against Chhattisgarh Hockey.