BANGALORE: The Karnataka State Hockey Association’s super division league championship will commence from September 17 at the SAI, Southern Centre in Kengeri. According to KSHA, the tournament will be played in two phases.

In the first phase, six teams (KSP, MEG, SAI, Central Excise, Centre of Excellence and PCTC) are in the fray and at the end of the competition the top two will qualify for the second phase.

The second phase will start on September 27 either at Madikeri or at SAI. Certain technical compliance is required to be met before the newly laid synthetic hockey pitch at Madikeri is made available for conducting the championship and SAI, has so far not accorded permission to have the matches played there.

“However, efforts are underway to get the exemption of technical compliance both from CPWD and SAI and if we succeed in obtaining the permission, we shall have the second phase of the competition certainly at Madikeri and in the event, the expected permission is not forthcoming from the authorities concerned, we have no other option but to complete the entire championship at Bangalore,” said Krishnamurthy, Secretary of the KSHA.

BPCL, IOCL, Forits, Army Red, Namdhari, Army Green, Canara Bank, ASC and the two qualifiers will compete in the second phase. — Special Correspondent