Action-packed affair like never before, top Indian players join in

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News service

Jalandhar, October 22

This year, the 34th edition of the Olympian Surjit Hockey Tournament is expected to be an action-packed event like never before as it is for the first time in six years that all players of the Indian national hockey team will be playing in the tournament.

The Punjab Police alone has got the power of seven players of the Indian team, including captain Manpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Sarvanjit Singh, Gurvinder Chandi, Ramandeep Singh and Dharamvir Singh.

They were appointed as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSPs) early this year.

Besides, top 12 ranking men’s teams, including the last year title winners Punjab National Bank, will be participating in this season.

Also, seven women teams, including Railways, CRPF and UCO Bank, will set the ground on fire this season.

The most coveted tournament of Punjab did not have much representation of women players from Punjab as out of seven women teams, only Punjab XI will represent the state.

The other six teams, including the Rail Coach factory (RCF), North Central Railways (NCR), Western Railways (WR), CRPF (Delhi) and UCO Bank will represent the Central Government agencies.

However, like the past two years, this year too, the tournament organisers have kept their ‘traditional rivals’ Pakistan away from the tournament after the team faced visa problem at the Indian High Commission in Pakistan.

In 2014, the high commission granted visas to them only at the last-minute, causing lot of confusion in the schedule of matches during the tournament.

Aruna Choudhari, Minister for Education, Punjab, will inaugurate the tournament whereas Padma Shri Pargat Singh, Olympian & former skipper of the Indian hockey team, will preside over the inauguration ceremony.

Manish Gour from Maharashtra has been appointed as director of the tournament whereas GS Sangha and HS Sangha have been assigned the duty of umpire manager and technical officer, respectively.

Gurmit Singh, Jatinder Singh and Sonia Battu (all from Punjab) have been appointed as judges for the tournament.

Punjab Police with the ‘power of seven’

• The Punjab Police alone has got the power of seven players of the Indian team, including captain Manpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Sarvanjit Singh, Gurvinder Chandi, Ramandeep Singh and Dharamvir Singh. 
• Besides, top 12 ranking men’s teams, including the last year title winners Punjab National Bank, will be participating in this season.
• Also, seven women teams, including Railways, CRPF and UCO Bank, will set the ground on fire this season.