Domestic Season kicks off with MCC-Murgugappa Gold Cup commencing on Thursday, the 3rd September 2008.

After a long lay off, the domestic season of India starts with the third oldest tournament in India, The Madras Cricket Club – Murugappa Gold Cup, starting tomorrow in Chennai.

In the first match of the day, Indian Oil Corporation will take on local champions Indian Overseas Bank at 16 hours followed by the high profile contest between Air India and Army XI.

It is nice the much expected tournament — the whole of south has only one Grade I tournament, this one – is on schedule unlike last year when the national governing body messed up the domestic calendar result of which this prestigious tournament was not given dates.

In 2007, our readers will be aware, the Indian Hockey Federation was pulling in three directions, with President, Secretary and national coach singing their own soliloquies — much to the detriment of hockey they suppose to improve. Not giving dates to tournaments like MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup, which has a distinct tradition, did not enthuse any.

Thankfully, past is past and the present dispensation in the form of ad-hoc committee at least did not fiddle with the MCC-Murugappa,which keeps local flocks clued to hockey for ten days, and was right enough to allot dates.

However, it is understood the much expected Indian National Junior Team will not be in the fray. A couple of occasions in the past, the junior Indian teams did well, winning bot the hearts of the fans and the Cup. The Junior team that won the Cup in 2003, for instance, went on to win the first ever Junior Asia Cup next year at Karachi.

The event will be played at the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium from September 3 to 14, with increased prize money.

The ten teams in the field are grouped into two as under:

Group A: Indian Oil Corporation(IOC), Karnataka XI, Mumbai XI, Indian Railways, Indian Overseas Bank(IOB).

Group B: Air India, Army XI, Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), Namdhari XI and Sports Hostel-Orissa.

BPCL are the defending champions. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knock out semi finals.

The prize money for the winner has been increased to Rs 1.5 lakhs from Rs one lakh in 2006 when the tournament was last played. The runner up this year will take home a purse of Rs one lakh.

The final match (14th September)is likely to telecast live by the national telecaster, Doordarshan.

S2h will bring daily reports which will be available under Domestic Hockey. For schedule and other reports please click ‘Domestic Hockey’ or What’sNew buttons, regularly.