Department hockey

Hockey India Senior Men Inter: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, Central Secretariat, Sports Authority of India, Food Corporation of India and Railway Sports Promotion Board emerged winners in a mix of one-sided contests and closely fought battles in the 6th Hockey India Senior Men Inter-Department National Championship 2026, which got underway on Friday at Hyderabad, on Friday.

Eight fixtures were played across Pools A, B, C and D in closely fought battles on the opening day of the competition.

Sports Authority of India (SAI) put up the day's most emphatic performance, thrashing Defence Accounts Sports Control Board 20-1 in a Pool B fixture that saw the floodgates open from the first quarter itself. Nitesh Sharma was the standout performer with a five-goal haul, while Akash Pal struck a hat-trick.