Top academy teams to vie for honours

LUDHIANA: Eight top academy hockey teams drawn from different parts of north India will be seen in action during the inaugural edition of the Keshdhari Sikh Hockey Tournament U19 to be organised by the International Sikh Sports Council in association with Mata Sahib Kaur Hockey Academy at the Astroturf Stadium in Jarkhar village 20 km from here on the LudhianaMalerkotla Road from December 2 to 6

Updated At : 07:15 AM Nov 28, 2017 IST

Players in action during a hockey match. Tribune file photo

Our Sports Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 27

Eight top academy hockey teams drawn from different parts of north India will be seen in action during the inaugural edition of the Keshdhari Sikh Hockey Tournament (U-19) to be organised by the International Sikh Sports Council in association with Mata Sahib Kaur Hockey Academy at the Astroturf Stadium in Jarkhar village, 20 km from here, on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla Road from December 2 to 6.

Jasbir Singh Mohali and Karnail Singh Peer Mohammed, president and chairman, respectively, of the council said the tournament was being held to encourage Sikh youth to follow the tenets of great Sikh gurus and promote the national game of hockey.

The participating teams include Olympian Surjit Singh Academy of Jalandhar, Chandigarh Academy-42 Sector; Punjab State Institute of Sports (PSIS) Academy, Mohali; Baba Uttam Singh Academy, Khadoor Sahib; Grewal Academy of Kila Raipur; Mata Sahib Kaur Academy of Jarkhar; Dhian Sigh Academy of Jammu and Kashmir and Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) Academy of Amritsar.

Jagroop Singh Jarkhar, Director, Jarkhar Hockey Academy, said matches in this five-day tournament would be played on league-cum-knock-out basis. Teams will be divided in two groups and two top teams from each group will qualify for the knock-out phase. Four matches will be played daily. Two matches each will be played under the sunlight and floodlights, he said.

Mahavir Singh and Amritpal Singh, general secretary and senior vice-president, respectively, of the organising council, said cash prizes worth Rs1lakh would be given to the first three position holders. The winners would receive Rs51,000, while first runners-up would get Rs31,000 and the second runners-up would pocket a cash prize of Rs21,000 besides mementoes.

Two semi-finals slated for December 5 and final scheduled for December 6 would be telecast live by Akal Channel of UK.Meanwhile, a meeting of the council has been convened on November 30 at the tournament venue to review the arrangements being made for this event, said Manmohan Singh, secretary of the organising council.