September 16, 2009:
Chandigarh: A total of 20 teams, including holders Air India and last year’s finalist IOC, will vie for top honours in the 39th All-India Gurmit Memorial Hockey tournament, to be played from September 19-27 here.
The tournament is offering a winner’s award of Rs 75,000, while the runner-up side would be richer by Rs 45,000.
Chander Shekhar, tournament committee chairman and also Additional Director General of Punjab Police, told reporters today that the ‘A’ grade event, organised by the Rock Rovers Hockey Club, would be participated by country’s top teams.
The teams have been divided into four pools for the event that will be held on the astroturf of Sector 42 stadium.
There will also be cash awards for the other outstanding categories – Player of the Tournament, Goalkeeper, Full-back, half-back and Forward.
Air India, IOC, ONGC and BPCL have been entered directly into the quarterfinal, while Army XI, Namdhari XI, BSF and EME have received bye in the pre-quarterfinal stage.
Other teams of the tournament include Indian Navy, PNB, Signals Jalandhar, SRC Ramgarh, Jammu and Kashmir Police, IAF, Surjit Academy, Ropar Hawks and Chandigarh XI.