Chennai: The 84th edition of the All-India MCC-Murugappa hockey tournament will be held at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium from September 3 to 14. The tournament, which had a one-year gap as it did not get dates, will attract the top 10 teams including the defending champions BPCL.

Giving details of the tournament, organising secretary MAM Arunachalam said the tournament will be played on a league cum knockout basis.

“The only change from the previous edition is that this time the teams will be put in two halves instead of four quarters,” said former Indian player Muneer Sait, who is helping the organisers in the conduct of the tournament.

The semifinals of the event will be held on September 13 and the final will be on September 14.

The tournament could not be held last year because of the Asia Cup, PHL and the Olympic selection which were all around the same time and in Chennai.

Pool A will have IOC, Karnataka XI, Mumbai XI, Indian Railways and IOB. Pool B will consist of Air India, Army XI, BPCL, Namdari XI and Sports Hostel, Orissa.

There will be the traditional exhibition match between MCC and Hindu on September 3 before the tournament proper begins on September 4. Shakeel Qureishi of Bhopal is the tournament director.