The 16th Hockey India Senior Men’s National Championship kicked off in Jhansi on October 10, 2026. On the opening day, teams from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Hockey Jammu & Kashmir celebrated significant victories, while and Rajasthan secured hard-fought wins.
In Pool A, Odisha made a spectacular entrance by defeating Hockey Uttarakhand 18-1. Aryan Jess and Sudip Chirimako each scored four goals, with Jess netting goals in the third and fourth quarters. Akash Soreng, Ajay Ekka, Anmol Ekka, and Deepak Minj contributed with two goals each. Rohit Kullu, Ritik Lakra, and Prashant Barla also found the back of the net. Uttarakhand’s sole goal came from Vishal Kumar in the 34th minute.
Chhattisgarh also dominated their match in Pool A, overpowering Assam with an 8-0 scoreline. Vishnu Yadav opened the scoring in the fourth minute, followed by two goals each from Sandeep Kumar (27′, 40′) and Tarun Yadav (32′, 46′). Sonu Nishad added two more goals, while Karan Kumar Sahu chipped in with one. Assam struggled to find the net throughout the match.
In Pool B, Dadar and Nagar Haveli along with Daman and Diu Hockey took an early lead against Goa, with Nagendra Kumar (5′, 36′) and Kushal Bopaiya (11′) scoring. Sunil Yadav (31′) and Mo. Idris (48′) extended the lead to 5-1, with Hari Rama scoring the only goal for Goa in the 26th minute. Arunachal Pradesh also showcased their skills, with Jay Prakash Patel (20′), Premdayal Giri (33′), Ujjwal (35′), and Pacha Tharun Kumar (36′) scoring, while Abhinav Singh (55′) added another. Telangana fought hard but ultimately lost 4-2, with goals from Mohammad Affan Khan (6′) and R Ayyappa (41′).
In Division C, Andhra Pradesh triumphed over Gujarat with an 8-0 victory. Hemant Kumar Dodium Subramanyam scored a hat trick (26′, 39′, 49′), while Nadiminti Akhil (43′, 46′), Matta Sai Kumar (15′), Lekkala Hitesh Rao (31′), Manchala Bhanuprakash Reddy (41′), and Sheikh Mohammad Rafi (28′) also contributed to the scoreline.
In another Pool B match, Hockey Rajasthan edged out Bihar (BSSA) with a narrow 3-2 victory. Rajasthan faced a spirited challenge from Bihar, with Ankit Rawat (32′) and Anurag Suthar (48′) scoring before captain Manish Chaudhary sealed the win with two late goals (52′, 58′). Bihar’s goals came from Johnny Kumar (34′) and Mohammad Siddique (54′).
In a thrilling Pool A encounter, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir defeated Hockey Himachal 6-3, marking the day’s highest-scoring match. Gagandeep Singh netted a hat trick (11′, 30′, 30′), while captain Karanjit Singh (43′, 52′), Kirandeep Singh (51′), and Manpreet Singh (37′) also scored. Himachal’s goals were scored by Piyush (4′, 46′), Raj (30′), and Hardip Singh (54′).