| Former UT Administrator Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd) was elated to know that Chandigarh will be on the world hockey map with the first big hockey extravaganza going to begin from January 5. General Jacob was instrumental in laying of the Astro Turf in the stadium. The approval for floodlights came when he was the Governor of Punjab. He was also instrumental in setting up of the Chandigarh Football and Hockey Academy in Sector 42. He said the meet would help usher in new era in hockey culture of the region. Speaking from New Delhi on the phone, he said the meet would also help budding youngsters in shaping their future in line with world standards with the holding of this tournament. |
Chandigarh, January 4
Thursday will be a great day for hockey fraternity of the region when the biggest national hockey marketing extravaganza will have its maiden venture with the beginning of the second leg of the Premier Hockey League in the floodlit hockey stadium of Sector 42.
Hockey fans feels the meet will revive peoples interest in the game in the region.
Both Punjab and Haryana will benefit with this almost month-long hockey extravaganza, feels a hockey coach. He said the national game had its roots in the region and it needed a thrust of this kind to promote it.
The presence of top Indian players and more than 10 players from abroad, including seven from Pakistan, will be an added attraction for the hockey lovers as also the two international captains Jorge Lombi from Argentina and Mohammad Saqlain from Pakistan.
Eleven foreign players form part of the five Tier teams. These are: Dilip Tirkey Hyderabad Sultans; Gagan Ajit Singh Sher-e-Jalandhar; Viren Rasquinha Maratha Warriors; Arjun Hallappa Bangalore Hi-Fliers; Rajpal Singh Chandigarh Dynamos.
The foreign players who have come here are: Mohammad Saqlain (Pakistan), Jorge Lombi (Argentina), Rehan Butt (Pakistan) Jordi Quintana (Spain), Dilawar Hussain (Pakistan), Pau Quemada (Spain), Salman Akbar (Pakistan), Balder Bomans (Netherlands), Shakeel Abassi (Pakistan), Adnan Zakir (Pakistan) and Imran Warsi (Pakistan).
The rules have been amended to make the contest interesting. As per technical officials, the free hit to be taken outside the D but within 25 yard line has made the game more power based.
The hit will have to be taken through indirect pass from a colleague who is required to maintain a distance of at least 5 m from the place of the free hit.
Each team will be given 2 x 2 minutes time-outs in stipulated period. These time-outs will be mandatory and have to be taken once in each half of the play.
Each team will also be allowed 1 x 2 minute time-out, which is not mandatory and can be taken during the restricted time.
Last year, in the first PHL League was held in Hyderabad. Each game was designed to be of four quarters of 17 minutes and 30 seconds each, instead of normal practice of two halves.
The winning team will get three points if the win comes in stipulated time. Any team winning in the extra time will share the points 2:1.
The only worry for the organisers is the foggy and chilly weather that might play spoilsport for the evening schedule of matches that would begin at 6.30 pm daily.
