Nehru Champion Colleges Hockey Tournament begins

Kusum Arora

The 18th SAIL-Nehru Champion Colleges Hockey Tournament began today at the local Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium with DAV College, Jalandhar, Al-Ameen College, Bangalore, and Sri Guru Hari Singh College, Sirsa, winning the matches. The tournament will conclude on February 26.

In the inaugural match, DAV College, Jalandhar, defeated Desh Bhagat College, Bardwal (Dhuri), by 3-2. Al-Ameen College, Bangalore, beat CRA College, Sonepat, by 4-2 and Sri Guru Hari Singh College, Sirsa, thrashed Jawaharlal Nehru PG College, Bhopal, by 7-1.

Adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema inaugurated the tournament, while Director, Sports, Punjab, Pargat Singh presided over the function.

Working secretary of the tournament-cum-SDM-I Iqbal Singh Sandhu said the tournament was held annually by the Jawahar Lal Nehru Hockey Society, New Delhi. “This year it is being held jointly by the Surjit Hockey Society, Jalandhar, Association of Indian Universities and Jawahar Lal Nehru Hockey Society, New Delhi,” he added.

Secretary of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Hockey Society, New Delhi, and international hockey umpire Kukku Walia said the selection of the college teams had been done by the Association of Indian Universities.

As many as 12 champion college teams of various universities from across the country were participating in the league-cum-knockout basis tournament. The teams included Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, Nandra Arts and Sports College, Erode (Tamil Nadu), Jamia Milia Islamia College, New Delhi, Municipal College, Rourkela, Al-Ameen College, Bangalore, CRA College, Sonepat, Desh Bhagat College, Bhardwal, S.D. Purwal College, Nagpur, DAV College, Jalandhar, PG College, Bhopal, Loyala College, Chennai, Gur Har Singh College, Sirsa.

Sandhu maintained that the champion team would get a cash award of Rs 96,000, while runners-up would get Rs 64,000 and third position holders would bag Rs 32,000.

“The coaches of the winners, runners-up and third place team would be given Rs 8,000, 5,000 and 3,000, respectively.

The man of the match of each game would be awarded sports kits, while the best players of the tournament would be given attractive prizes,” he added.