Defending champions Air India will launch the defense of their title on Thursday, when they take on local challengers Central Railway in the opening Pool ‘A’ league match of the Mumbai Hockey Association Limited (MHAL) conducted PMC-Bank 12th Guru Tegh Bahadur All-India Gold Cup Hockey Championship – 2016, which is scheduled to be played at the MHAL-Mahindra Stadium, Churchgate from Wednesday, June 1 to Friday, June 10.
Challenging Air India for the title is CAG (Comptroller Auditor General), the team that finished runners-up in the 50th Bombay Gold All India Hockey Tournament, here last December.
A total of 10 teams have divided into two pools and they will be fighting for the top honours in this tournament.
Air India, Delhi; RCF (Rail Coach Factory), Kapurthala, FCI (Food Corporation of India), Delhi; Central Railway and Mumbai Customs, both Mumbai are drawn in Pool ‘A’.
Pool ‘B’ consists of Punjab National Bank and CAG (Comptroller Auditor General), both Delhi; Hockey Bhopal, Western Railway and Union Bank of India, both Mumbai.
PRIZE MONEY:
The winner’s will stand to earn Rs 2 lakhs and the runners-up would receive a cash award of Rs 1 lakh. Besides the top prizes, there will be individual awards for the Best goalkeeper, defender and forward and the ‘Player of the final’; they all would receive a cash prize of Rs 5,000 each. The organizers would also present a ‘Man of the match’ award of Rs 1,000 for every match up to the semi-finals.
The MHAL has plans to felicitate the Mumbai lads who recently emerged champions in the 6th Hockey India Junior National Championship (B Division) in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, early this month, on the final day of this tournament.
The teams – Pool ‘A’: Air India, Delhi; RCF (Rail Coach Factory), Kapurthala, FCI (Food Corporation of India), Delhi; Central Railway and Mumbai Customs, both Mumbai.
Pool ‘B’: Punjab National Bank and CAG (Comptroller Auditor General), both Delhi; Hockey Bhopal, Western Railway and Union Bank of India, both Mumbai.