Garhwal Post Bureau
Mussoorie, 27 Aug: Hockey fever gripped the Queen of the Hills as a three-day hockey tournament got underway at the Mussoorie Public School ground on the occasion of the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
Organised by the Mussoorie Sports Association (MSA), the tournament has brought teams from different parts of the country to Mussoorie, with players displaying their skills and competitive spirit in the opening matches.
The tournament was inaugurated by Mussoorie Public School Principal Vishal Singh, who interacted with the players and introduced himself to the participating teams. He said the tournament has been organised at the school’s sports ground for nearly a decade and has become an important platform for local players to learn from experienced athletes visiting from across the country.
Vishal Singh said that playing alongside and watching experienced players gives local youngsters an opportunity to learn new techniques and understand the finer aspects of the game. He emphasised that such tournaments should continue regularly to promote hockey at the national level.
MSA President Surat Singh Rawat said the association has been organising a hockey tournament on National Sports Day for the past 27 years. This year, teams from different parts of the country are participating in the senior women’s category. Matches are also being held in the senior men’s, junior boys’ and girls’ and sub-junior boys’ categories.
In the senior women’s category, SYM Yamunanagar defeated MD Hockey Haldwani 4-1. Barisa Kolkata beat Young Women Ramnagar 2-1, while Yamunanagar Haryana defeated Mumbai 2-0. Amritsar Punjab registered a convincing 7-0 victory over Patna Bihar, while Steel Plant Bhilai thrashed Rampur Uttar Pradesh 9-0.
Khalsa Kolkata defeated Bareilly Uttar Pradesh 5-2, while Steel Plant Bhilai continued its impressive run with a 12-0 victory over Roshan Hockey Patna. Amritsar also defeated Patna 3-0 to strengthen its position in the tournament.
In the junior boys’ category, Mussoorie Public School defeated Wynberg Allen School in two consecutive matches, winning 2-0 and 3-0. The junior girls’ match between Wynberg Allen School and Mussoorie Public School ended in a goalless draw.
MSA President Surat Singh Rawat, General Secretary Saurabh Sonkar, Roop Chand, BS Negi, Suresh Goyal, Anuj Tayal, Bijendra Pundir, Jagbir Bhandari, Ajay Bhandari, Sahil Sonkar, Mizan Singh, Anil Goyal, Vijay Jugran and a large number of sports enthusiasts and spectators were present on the occasion.
