Punjab to host next national league as well

Jalandhar, Oct 26 (UNI) Punjab, hosts of the current edition of the 62nd National Hockey Championship, will also hold the 63rd edition of the Championship next year.

Punjab Director General of Police S S Virk, who also holds the post of president of Punjab Hockey Association, said that the tournament would be hosted by the state for the second successive time next year.

Mr Virk said that formal consent from the Indian Hockey Federation in the connection had already been received.

He said that the tournament next year would be held in two phases--preliminary round of the tournament would be held at six zonal centers in different parts of the country while the next super league rounds and finals would be held in Punjab.

Six zonal round matches at different centers would also be organised and hosted by Punjab, he clarified.

The prestigious tournament is being hosted by Punjab here this year after a gap of 25 years, the DGP added.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Hockey Association and Indian Hockey Federation are taking several steps to revive the hockey and to restore old glory of the game.

In this direction, club level tournaments and district level tournaments are being planned in the state and the a scheduled for these would be prepared by next three months.

He said that private NRIs participation is also being encouraged for orgnaising and supporting such events. Old hockey nurseries for preparing budding players would also be revived.

UNI SS PS AY KP1830