All-India Balwant Kapoor Hockey tournament from January 22

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 20

The 13th All-India Sardar Balwant Singh Kapoor Memorial Hockey Tournament will be held from January 22 to January 29 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Astro-Turf Hockey Stadium in Burlton Park here. Around 16 teams of U-17 players will participate in the tournament. BS Dhillon, Vice Chancellor, Punjab University will inaugurate the tournament.

Tournament committee president Harbhajan Singh Kapoor today said that the tournament would be played on league-cum-knock out basis. To encourage players, the winners will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 1.25 lakh while the first runners up will be given Rs 80,000 and the second runners up will get Rs 60,000. The team at the fourth position will be given a sum of Rs 40,000. The top scorer, best forward, full and half back players will get Rs 7,500 each for their best performance in the tournament, he added.

A Fair Play trophy in the memory of Harmohinder Kaur will also be awarded on the concluding day of the tournament. The organising committee will also announce awards for the best goal keeper, best full back, best half back, best forward, highest scorer and most promising player of the tournament.

The much coveted tournament is organised every year in the memory of Balwant Singh Kapoor and Mata Prakash kaur by their family. This is the only tournament in the state which is being held for hockey players of under -17 age group. Many hockey players, including Akashdeep Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh have also played in the tournament.