Sub Jr Hockey tourney from Jan 24

Lucknow, Jan 22 (UNI) Balrampur Chini Mill All India K D Singh Babu prize money Sub Junior (U 14) invitation hockey tournament will start here at the Guru Gobind Singh Sports College from January 24.

The 19th consecutive edition of the tournament is being organised by K D Singh Babu Memorial society.

Breifing newspersons here today, principal secretary (UP government) and organising committee chairperson Kunwar Fateh Bahadur said 18 teams will participate in this league-cum-knockout basis tournament.

The participating teams comprising Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, Roopnagar (Punjab), Andhra Pradesh, 2 teams from Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Hyderabad, West Bengal, Cheema Academy (Batala Punjab), Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Manipur, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai and Asom will be divided into four pools and two teams from each pool will qualify for the quarter final stages, to be palyed on January 31.

Technical secretary of the tournament Syed Ali, a former olympian himself informed that the winner will be awarded Rs 20,000, Runners up 15,000, while the third placed team will fetch a purse of Rs 10,000.

Mr Ali said, previous year, the hosts UP had won the title.

The tournament will be inaugurated by former Olympian and Arjun awardee Ashok Kumar and PWD minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui will be the chief guest of the closing ceremony on Feburary 2.

UNI KN ATI CS RK1835