Chandigarh, Sep 22 (IANS): Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship is set to take place here at the Hockey Stadium, Sports Complex from September 23 to October 3.

As many as 28 teams from across the nation will battle it out for the coveted title, promising nearly two weeks of exhilarating hockey action.

The teams are divided into eight pools. Top team from each pool will qualify for the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals, the third-place playoff, and the final.

The opening day will feature six matches. Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu Hockey take on Goans Hockey, and Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu face Hockey Gujarat in Pool G.

In Pool E, Hockey Punjab will go up against Hockey Karnataka, followed by Hockey Bihar playing against Manipur Hockey. Pool F will see Hockey Arunachal clashing with Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, and Hockey Chandigarh competing against Hockey Maharashtra.

"The Sub Junior Men National Championship is a crucial platform to identify and nurture young talent from across the country. We are excited to witness the upcoming stars of Indian hockey in action," said Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.

Adding to this, Bhola Nath Singh, secretary general of Hockey India, stated, "Empowering our young athletes with exposure to match conditions is a priority for us. We are looking forward to witnessing some strong performances over the next two weeks."

Pools:

Pool A: Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand, Hockey Andhra Pradesh

Pool B: Hockey Association of Odisha, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan

Pool C: Hockey Haryana, Hockey Bengal, Telangana Hockey

Pool D: Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Assam Hockey, Kerala Hockey

Pool E: Hockey Punjab, Hockey Bihar, Hockey Karnataka, Manipur Hockey

Pool F: Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Arunachal, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir

Pool G: Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Goans Hockey, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Gujarat

Pool H: Delhi Hockey, Le Puducherry Hockey, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Himachal