Hindustan Times: Obaidullah Heritage Cup begins from Sep 14 in Bhopal

By Shruti Tomar

Obaidullah Heritage Cup, one of the prestigious hockey tournaments having prize money of Rs 1 crore, will begin at the Aishbagh Stadium in Bhopal from Wednesday.

Nine athletes who played in the Rio Olympics would take part in the eight-day tournament that will include top teams such as Air India, CAG, BPCL, All India University, Indian Oil Corporation, ONGC, Punjab National Bank, Punjab and Sindh Bank and Railways.

No local round will be organised this year. Other than Sports Authority of India and Madhya Pradesh State Hockey Academy, local players will participate in a team called Madhya Pradesh, said sports director Upendra Jain.

While the winner team will receive Rs 51 lakh, runners up will get Rs 31 lakh. The sports department is organising the tournament by changing its name to Obaidullah Heritage Cup from Obaidullah Gold Cup to avoid any controversy. Jain said chief minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan will attend the inaugural ceremony.