24 teams to participate in Gurmit Memorial Hockey

Chandigarh, Oct 31 (UNI) Defending champions Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited along with last year's semi-finalists Punjab and Sind Bank and Namdhari XI have been seeded straight into the quarter-finals of the 37th SN Vohra's All-India Gurmit Memorial Hockey Tournament to be held here from November 3 to 12.

The Tournament is being organised by Rock Rovers, an affiliated unit of the Chandigarh Hockey Association, at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium.

Announcing this here today, Chairman of Organising Committee and Punjab Additional Director General of Police Chander Shekhar told media persons that 24 top club teams of the country would be taking part in the A grade tournament.

Chandigarh Hockey Association secretary Yash Pal Vohra said that Punjab Police, Indian Airlines, Army XI and Punjab National Bank have been seeded into prequarter-final rounds.

The 24 teams would be divided into four pools of six teams each.

The participating teams are: IOC, BPCL, Punjab and Sind Bank, Namdhari XI, Punjab Police, Army XI, IAL, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Western Railways, South Central Railways, Rail Coach Factory, Signals, SRC, Canara Bank, CISF, IAF, PNB XI, IHF Under-18, PSEB, J and K Police, Ropar Hawks, Chandigarh Football Hockey Academy and Chandigarh XI.

The inaugural match will be played between CFH Academy and Punjab State Electricity Board and the second match will be played between CISF and Ropar Hawks.

Mr Chander Shekhar, who is also president of the Chandigarh Hockey Association said that the prize money for the winners and runners-up have been increased. The winners will be richer by Rs 70,000 while runners-up will received a pay cheque of Rs 45,000. The best four players of the tournament--goalkeeper, fullback, half back and forward -- will get Rs 4,000 each. The Dr B L Gupta Trophy will be awarded to the most well-behave team.

Vodafone is the main sponsor and BK Black is the co-sponsor in the Rs 8-lakh budget tournament.

UNI