Senior Men Inter-Department National Hockey Begins at Gachibowli Stadium

The 6th Hockey India Senior Men Inter-Department National Championship 2026 is scheduled to take place at the Gachibowli Hockey Stadium in Hyderabad from September 4 to 13, featuring 20 teams and multiple Indian Olympians. Defending champions Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) will lead the competition as national-level hockey returns to the venue following the FIH Women's World Cup Qualifiers held in March 2026.

Suresh Battini, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, will attend the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest on September 4. A team managers' meeting is scheduled for September 3 ahead of the opening matches.

The tournament features several prominent players who have represented India at international levels. The participating Olympians include Surender, Varun Kumar, Kothajeet Singh, and Devinder Walmiki. Other international players competing in the championship include Vikas Dahiya, Harjit Singh, Gurjot Singh, Affan Yousuf, Talwinder Singh, Dipson Tirkey, and Sudeep Chermako.

The 20 teams have been divided into four pools of five teams each. Each team will play against the others in their group, with a win earning three points and a draw awarding one point. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the quarterfinals on September 10. Following a rest day on September 11, the semifinals will be held on September 12, with the final scheduled for September 13.

In the previous edition held at the Naval Tata Hockey Academy ISWP Ground in Jamshedpur, PSPB won the championship with a 3-0 victory over the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) in the final. Services Sports Control Board secured third place after edging Food Corporation of India (FCI) 3-2 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.

This year's group stage places PSPB in Pool A alongside Central Secretariat, Punjab National Bank, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and ITBP Central Hockey Team, with PSPB opening against SSB. Last year's runners-up CAG are in Pool B with Sports Authority of India, Punjab & Sind Bank, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Defence Accounts Sports Control Board. CAG will begin their campaign against CRPF on September 4 at 8 am.

Pool C consists of Services Sports Control Board, All India Police Sports Control Board, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Steel Plant Sports Board, and Union Bank of India, with Services facing Steel Plant Sports Board in their opener. Pool D features Food Corporation of India, Railway Sports Promotion Board, Central Industrial Security Force, Tamil Nadu Police, and Canara Bank, with FCI opening against Tamil Nadu Police.