Pandemic-hit hockey nationals to start in March after a 12 months’s break

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The restructured Hockey India National Championships will restart in March after a hiatus of 1 12 months following the cancellation of final 12 months’s occasions as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
The home competitions will resume in a brand new, restructured format this 12 months, as HI appears to maximise athlete participation and develop the sport within the states, union territories, institutional models and academies.
The season will kick-start with the eleventh Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2021 to be held in Simdega, Jharkhand from March 10 March to 18, adopted by the eleventh Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2021 scheduled to be organised in Narwana district of Haryana from March 17 to 25.
The inaugural version of the primary Hockey India Junior Women Academy National Championship 2021 can be held from March 17 to 26. The ladies’s occasion on this class will run concurrently from March 17 to 24. Both the competitions can be performed on the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
This can be adopted by the eleventh Hockey India Junior Women National Championship at Simdega, Jharkhand from April 3 to 12.

Last 12 months, solely the tenth Hockey India Senior Men and Senior Women Championship 2020 (A Division) in addition to the tenth Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2020 (B Division) had been held in January and February earlier than the pandemic wreaked havoc worldwide.
“We are very happy to resume the domestic calendar after the pandemic halted all the sporting events last year,” HI president Gyanendro Ningombam stated in a press release.
“The season will begin in an all-new avatar with the restructuring of events for sub-junior, junior and senior national championships for both men and women as well as Hockey India registered State Member Units, Public Sector Units/ Departmental Units and Academy Member Units respectively,” he added.
With the specter of pandemic nonetheless looming massive, the nationwide federation has instructed the host state associations to nominate Hygiene Officers at each venue.
Besides, following HI’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a should for all collaborating groups, match officers in addition to host states.
HI additional said that the dates for the remaining National Championships for 2021 can be introduced later, after receiving affirmation from collaborating groups.