Women’s hockey tourney in Bhopal from Thursday

BHOPAL: After successfully organising 64th All India Obaidullah Khan Gold Cup men’s hockey tournament, Madhya Pradesh Government is now hosting a nine-day All India Women’s Hockey Tournament 2010 at Bhopal from Thursday.

“As announced by the state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the occasion of closing ceremony of Obaidullah Cup tournament, the state is now organising the All India Women’s Hockey Tournament from tomorrow at the local Aishbagh Stadium,” Director Sports, Sanjay Choudhry and former India hockey player Ashok Dhyanchand told reporters on Wednesday.

The tournament will have the highest ever prize money being paid for a women’s hockey championship, Choudhry said.

The winner of the tournament will get Rs two lakh cash award while the runners-up will be awarded Rs one lakh. The teams securing third and fourth positions will get Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively.

Eight teams including Central Railway Mumbai, Shahbad Academy (Haryana), Chandigarh Academy, Orissa Eleven, SAI Eleven, Madhya Pradesh State Women Hockey Academy, Uttar Pradesh Eleven and Haryana Eleven will take part in the tournament.

The tournament will be played on league-cum-knock-out basis with two pools having four teams each. The final will be held on April 30.