Jharkhand will host national junior women’s hockey championship next month.

“The 11th edition of national junior women’s hockey championship will be held at Astroturf Stadium in Simdega during October 20-30,” Hockey Jharkhand president Bholanath Singh said, adding preparations for the same were going on.

“I along with our vice-president Dharmendra Singh met chief minister Hemant Soren last week to request him to inaugurate the national event and he gave his consent for the same,” Singh further informed. Hockey India officials will also be present during the event, he added.

The event will witness participation of 31 teams representing different states and Union territories of the country, he said, adding the national junior women’s team would also be selected during the Simdega event.

“Hockey India selectors will be present during the national meet for judging the performances of the players and select the national team from among them,” Singh said.

“Preparations are going on in full swing for the event and we all are trying our best not only for making the stay comfortable for the guests and the players but also to provide an opportunity to the hockey-loving people of the area to view the matches smoothly,” Hockey Simdega president Manoj Konbegi said when asked about the preparations.

“Yes, the chief minister is also expected to lay the foundation stone of another astroturf stadium here that was proposed earlier,” he said when told that Hockey Jharkhand president Singh had already announced it.

“Simdega, as you know, is the nursery of hockey in the state and another astroturf stadium would help promote local talents,” Konbegi argued in favour of the proposed stadium.

If so, many players from the villages of Simdega can represent the state and eventually the country at international events, including the world cup and Olympics, he said.