Ex-bankers turn hockey promoters

Prabhjot Singh

Tribune News Service

After long successful innings in the banking industry, Kapur brothers of Jalandhar – Harbhajan Singh and Manmohan Singh – have taken upon temselves the onerous task of promoting hockey at the grassroots.

While Harbhajan Singh Kapur retired as Chrainmen-cum-Managing Director of Allahabad Bank, Manmohan Singh Kapur retired as Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Vijay Bank. To perpetuate the memory of their parents – Balwant Singh and Mata Parkash Kaur – who, themselves were ardent hockey lovers, Kapur brothers have been running for the past eight years an all-India tournament for under-17 players at Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium at Jalandhar.

The tournament is named after Balwant Singh Kapur where the winners get Mata Parkash Kaur Cup besides the cash award.

“Our endeavour is just to promote hockey at the grassroot level. We are totally apolitical, do not seek any sponsors or advertisers for conducting this event where the winning team carries home a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh while the runners-up team earns Rs 60,000. Third and fourth placed teams, too, get Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000. Besides, five best players of the tournament – goalkeeper, fullback, half back, forward and top scorer, too, get a cash prize of Rs 5000 each,” says Manmohan Singh Kapur.

“There are more than one reasons for chosing Jalandhar as the venue for this annual event. Besides being their home town, Jalandhar has been for a long nursery of Indian hockey as it has produced several Olympians and international players. Since there are a number of tournaments for seniors, including Surjit Hockey, but there are not many prize money tournaments for boys, especially those belonging to under-17 category,” adds Mohinder Singh Kapur. “To make sure that the matches are conducted strictly according to the FIH rules, some stars of yesteryears, including Olympians Ajit Pal Singh, Varinder Singh, Rajinder Singh, Gundeep Kumar and others have been involved in the organising committee,” adds Manmohan Singh Kapur.

The eighth edition of the tournament starts Monday. 15 top u-17 teams of the country are scheduled to vie for honours in the coming edition.