Schedule released for Youth U-18 National Hockey Championship; Event kicks off April 9
Schedule released for Youth U-18 National Hockey Championship; Event kicks off April 9
By Nawaz Gohar ; The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has officially announced the schedule for the Youth Under-18 National Hockey Championship 2026. The event will run from April 9 to April 19, featuring 16 teams from across the country competing for the prestigious title.
The participating teams have been divided into four pools:
Pool A: Pakistan Customs, KPK 2, Punjab 4, Gilgit-Baltistan.
Pool B: Punjab 1, Sindh 2, Balochistan, KPK 1.
Pool C: Police, Punjab 2, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Islamabad.
Pool D: Pak Education Board, Sindh 1, Punjab 3, Pakistan Army.
The tournament begins on April 9 with four high-profile matches on the opening day. KPK 2 will face Gilgit-Baltistan, followed by Sindh 2 vs. Balochistan, KPK 1 vs. Punjab 1, and Pakistan Customs vs. Punjab 4. Group stage matches will continue for six consecutive days until April 14, followed by a rest day for all teams on April 15.
The top teams from the group stages will clash in the quarter-finals on April 16:
1st QF: Winner Pool A vs. Runner-up Pool B
2nd QF: Winner Pool C vs. Runner-up Pool D
3rd QF: Winner Pool B vs. Runner-up Pool A
4th QF: Winner Pool D vs. Runner-up Pool C
The winners of the quarter-finals will advance to the semi-finals on April 17, scheduled for 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM.
The final and the third-position playoff will take place on April 19. The match for third place is scheduled for 1:30 PM, while the championship final will start at 3:30 PM to decide the ultimate winner.
This event is expected to unearth new talent from across the country, providing young players a platform to eventually represent the national team and bring pride to the nation.
