Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2018
The Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2018 was a major domestic field hockey tournament held under the aegis of Hockey India, the national governing body for the sport. The event showcased the country’s finest hockey talent, representing various states, public sector institutions, and services teams. The championship served as an important platform for scouting players for the national camp and future international tournaments, highlighting the depth and competitive spirit of Indian hockey.
Background and Organisation
Hockey India has been organising national championships annually to promote competitive hockey across different categories—senior, junior, and sub-junior—for both men and women. The 2018 edition of the Senior Men National Championship was a key event in the domestic hockey calendar, aimed at strengthening the grassroots-to-national-level player pipeline.
The championship was divided into two parts:
- Division A – featuring top-tier teams that had qualified based on their past performances.
- Division B – comprising emerging teams aiming for promotion to Division A.
The tournament followed Hockey India’s standard rules and format, conforming to international standards of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
Venue and Dates
The 8th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2018 (Division A) was hosted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, from 25 February to 10 March 2018. The Division B tournament was held earlier in the year in Imphal, Manipur, between 20 January and 28 January 2018.
Both events were organised with the support of state hockey associations and local sports authorities, ensuring high-quality infrastructure and spectator engagement. Matches were played on synthetic turf pitches with full electronic scoring and video coverage to support player analysis and national selection.
Participating Teams
A total of 30 teams participated across both divisions. In Division A, the tournament featured elite teams such as:
- Hockey Punjab
- Hockey Haryana
- Hockey Karnataka
- Hockey Odisha
- Hockey Maharashtra
- Hockey Chandigarh
- Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB)
- Services Sports Control Board (SSCB)
- Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB)
- Hockey Uttar Pradesh
Division B included state teams and departmental sides aspiring to qualify for the top tier, such as:
- Hockey Bihar
- Hockey Himachal
- Hockey Andhra Pradesh
- Hockey Gujarat
- Hockey Rajasthan
- Hockey Madhya Bharat
- Hockey Mizoram
Each team consisted of professional players, many of whom were national-level or former junior international athletes.
Tournament Format
The championship followed a pool-based round-robin format in the preliminary stage, followed by knockout rounds—quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. Points were awarded for wins and draws, with the top teams from each pool advancing to the next stage.
Matches were conducted in accordance with FIH guidelines, featuring two halves of 35 minutes each (then applicable duration before the adoption of 4-quarter format in later years).
Highlights and Key Matches
The tournament witnessed intense competition and high-quality hockey, reflecting the rising standards of domestic play.
- Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) and Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) emerged as dominant forces in their respective pools, with consistent performances marked by tactical precision and fitness.
- Hockey Punjab and Hockey Haryana displayed outstanding skill and speed, rekindling their traditional rivalry.
- Quarterfinals and semifinals saw closely fought matches, often decided by penalty shootouts or narrow margins.
One of the standout matches of the tournament was the semifinal between Railway Sports Promotion Board and Hockey Punjab, which ended with a thrilling finish as RSPB secured victory through penalty conversions.
Final and Results
The final match of the 2018 Senior Men National Championship (Division A) was played between the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) and the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB).
- Winner: Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB)
- Runner-up: Services Sports Control Board (SSCB)
- Final Score: RSPB defeated SSCB 5–3 in a high-tempo final.
The Railways team exhibited strong attacking play and cohesive teamwork, led by experienced players such as Talwinder Singh and Lalit Upadhyay, both of whom had represented India at international tournaments. The Services team also put up a spirited performance, driven by their disciplined defence and counter-attacking style.
In Division B, Hockey Bihar claimed the championship title by defeating Hockey Andhra Pradesh in the final, thereby earning promotion to Division A for the following year’s competition.
Individual Honours and Awards
At the closing ceremony, Hockey India recognised outstanding individual performances with special awards:
- Best Player of the Tournament: Talwinder Singh (Railway Sports Promotion Board)
- Best Goalkeeper: Jasbir Singh (Services Sports Control Board)
- Top Scorer: Mandeep Singh (Hockey Punjab)
- Fair Play Trophy: Hockey Odisha
These awards underscored both the high calibre of players and the spirit of sportsmanship that characterised the tournament.
Significance and Impact
The 2018 Senior Men National Championship was significant for multiple reasons:
- It served as a talent identification platform for Hockey India selectors ahead of international events such as the Asian Games 2018 and Hockey World Cup 2018.
- The performance of several young players earned them national training camp call-ups, contributing to the renewal of India’s senior men’s squad.
- The championship also reinforced the strength of institutional teams like RSPB and SSCB, which have historically contributed several players to the national team.
- By holding the tournament across different regions (Lucknow and Imphal), Hockey India ensured regional representation and promoted the sport’s reach beyond traditional centres.
Legacy and Development
Following the 2018 edition, Hockey India undertook measures to enhance the structure of domestic tournaments, introducing professional umpiring systems, live match streaming, and athlete tracking tools. The success of the championship encouraged further investment in state hockey associations and inspired several young players to pursue the sport at professional levels.
The 2018 tournament thus marked another milestone in India’s ongoing efforts to strengthen domestic hockey, celebrating the nation’s sporting depth and commitment to nurturing future international champions.
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