Bombay Gymkhana decides to revive All-India Aga Khan tournament

By Mihir Vasavda | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

Bombay Gymkhana has decided to revive the world’s second oldest hockey event, the All-India Aga Khan tournament. It will be held here from May 15 to 21.

In an era when hockey is played on artificial turfs with emphasis on fitness and speed, how many teams in India would be willing to take part in the tournament? “It wasn’t difficult to coax the teams. It’s all about tradition,” says Rahul Raichand, honorary secretary — hockey and football — of Bombay Gymkhana. “It is the second oldest competition in the world and we hope to make it a huge success.” The tournament was first played in 1896.

However, Air India, who won the tournament’s last edition in 2002, won’t be participating. “I don’t think it is an ideal preparation for the Nationals (to be held next month). It (Aga Khan) is no doubt a prestigious tournament but to play on grass is an issue,” says Air India manager Vernon Lobo.

Ex India captain Dhanraj Pillay adds another dimension to this debate. “The fact that Mumbai does not have an artificial turf is a concern. How can you conduct a tournament on a turf if you don’t have one! So if we look at it from that angle, it is good that at least we are having a domestic tournament in the city after such a long time, although on grass,” he says.

The tournament promises to be a throwback to the time when ‘s’ in hockey stood for skills and not speed. “So, it will be very interesting to see how the players will adjust to it,” Pillay concludes.