Hockey India names 15-member Sub Junior Women's group for Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 preparatory camp

New Delhi, July 7, 2026: Hockey India on Tuesday announced the 15-member Sub Junior Women's group for the Women's Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026. The selected players are currently attending a National Coaching Camp at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy in Bhopal as part of their preparations for the continental tournament to be held in Muscat, Oman.

The preparatory camp, being conducted under the guidance of former India captain and Sub Junior Women's Coach Rani, began on July 4 and will continue until July 18.

Bhopal continues as India's emerging hockey development hub

Bhopal has strengthened its reputation as a high-performance centre for Indian hockey by hosting several national coaching camps in recent years, including preparatory camps for the U-18 Asia Cup. The world-class infrastructure at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy continues to provide an ideal environment for nurturing the country's emerging hockey talent.

Speaking about the ongoing camp, Coach Rani said:

"The Women's Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship presents a fantastic opportunity for our young players to gain valuable international exposure at an early stage of their careers. Since this is the first time sub-junior teams will be participating in an event of this nature, our focus will be on helping the players understand the unique demands of Hockey5s while also strengthening their fundamental skills and tactical awareness.

We would like to thank the Madhya Pradesh Government for supporting and hosting such camps, which play a crucial role in building a strong pipeline of talent for the future of Indian hockey and strengthening our grassroots ecosystem."

Building a strong talent pipeline

The camp is part of Hockey India's long-term strategy to strengthen the country's talent pipeline across various age groups. Earlier this year, Hockey India organised a month-long national coaching camp for the Sub Junior teams ahead of the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Japan, where the Indian women's team secured the bronze medal.

By providing structured coaching camps and consistent international exposure at the sub-junior level, Hockey India aims to prepare players for seamless progression into the junior (U-21) setup before eventually contributing to the senior national teams. These initiatives form a key part of the federation's vision to enhance bench strength and sustain India's competitiveness on the global stage.

Focus areas during the preparatory camp

The selected players have earned their places through consistent performances in domestic competitions and previous national camps. During the ongoing training programme, the coaching staff is focusing on:

• Skill enhancement
• Tactical awareness
• Fitness conditioning
• Adapting to the fast-paced Hockey5s format

15-member Sub Junior Women's group

• Rashmeen Kaur
• Rubina Baxla
• Nancy Saroha
• Pushpa Manjhi
• Khili Kumari
• Kiran Ekka
• Sweety Kujur
• Sneha Davde
• Nousheen Naz
• Shruti Kumari
• Nilam Topno
• Priyanka Minz
• Diya
• Sandeepa Kumari
• Mahak Parihar

About Hockey India

Hockey India is the national governing body for hockey in India and is responsible for the development, promotion and administration of the sport across all levels, including grassroots programmes, domestic competitions and the national teams.

(Inputs from Press Release)