16th Hockey India Sub Junior Women’s Championship: Sandeepa Kumari Leads Her Home State To Third Straight National Title

Hockey Jharkhand secured their third straight national sub junior title. The team won the 16th Hockey India event. It was the Sub Junior Women's National Championship 2026. The final took place in Rajgir, Bihar. The date was 13 April 2026. Hockey Jharkhand beat Hockey Madhya Pradesh 2-1 in a tense final.

Sandeepa Kumari was a key player for Hockey Jharkhand. She finished as the side's top scorer with five goals. She took up hockey in 2021. She was inspired by her sister and Indian forward, Sangita Kumari. Their shared journey added meaning to this title defence.

Sandeepa shared the advice she received from Sangita. She said, "Before the match, she told me to play with my heart, stay focused throughout, and trust my abilities. She always reminds me to back my skills, stay confident in pressure situations and look to make an impact by scoring goals for the team."

She underlined the value of the age-group event. The tournament is supported by Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation. Sandeepa said, "The competition is a very important platform for young players like us. It gives us the opportunity to showcase our talent and grow in the sport. I would like to thank the Anandana Foundation for its continued support of women's hockey, which motivates players like us to perform and aim higher."

Sandeepa also spoke about preparation and her scoring focus. She said, "We trained continuously for 15 days leading up to the tournament. Our mindset was clear that we wanted to become champions again, and we gave it everything we had." She added, "I have been working very hard on my scoring and converting chances. It's something I have focused on with my coach, and in the matches I was able to execute what I've been practicing."

On the final, she highlighted the team's resolve. She said, "We played with great intensity. Even after conceding, we didn't lose belief and kept pushing until the end to get the win."

Key Event Details

The key details from the championship are listed below.