Hockey champion trophy from March 9

LUDHIANA: The Sports Council of Ludhiana will organize ‘All India Sahibzada Ajit Singh Hockey Champion Trophy’ at Astroturf in Punjab Agricultural University from March 9 to 14.

In this six-day tournament, eight men’s teams and four women’s will compete for a prize money of Rs 4.25 lakh.

Sports Council of Ludhiana president Pirthipal Singh Batala said, ”In men category, eight teams ‘ Air India ( Mumbai), ONGC (Mumbai), Punjab National Bank ( New Delhi), Punjab and Sindh Bank (New Delhi), Chandigarh XI, Namdhari XI, Indian Air Force and Indian Army ‘ will compete against each other.”

This tournament would be played on league-cum-knockout basis and the winner of men category would be given prize money of Rs 2 lakh, while the first runners-up would get Rs 1 lakh, Batala added.

The council chairman, Rajinder Singh (hockey Olympian), said, ”In women category, four teams ‘ Central Railways (Mumbai), Gwalior Academy, Chandigarh XI and Rail Coach Factory (Kapurthala) ‘ will be pitched against each other.”

The winner of women category would be given prize money of Rs 75,000 and first runners-up would get Rs 50,000. Besides, they would also be given ‘Professor Nirpjit Kaur Gill Memorial Trophy’ by their family members, he added.

In a first of its kind, every best player of the match would get Rs 1,500 as prize money. The semi-final and final would be telecast on a national TV channel.

A book ‘ ‘Hockey Sitaare Sudhar De’ ‘ penned by Canada-based NRI Balkar Singh Bajwa was also released on the day by Hockey Olympians Balbir Singh Grewal, Rajinder Singh and Hardeep Singh Grewal.