Mohali stadium may host four-nation hockey meet
Punjab will host U-21 Four-Nation Youth Hockey Cup in May, announced Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. While addressing the gathering at a function to felicitate the 1975 Hockey World Cup winning players and others, Mann said the Hockey India has promised to allot this event to the state.
Sources claimed that the Olympian Balbir Singh (Senior) Hockey Stadium, Sector 63, may be a possible venue for hosting this event. In 2021, the Punjab Government had named the international hockey stadium, facing the IS Bindra PCA Stadium, after triple Olympian hockey legend Balbir Singh (Senior). The 13,468-capacity stadium equipped a modern astroturf has hosted various leagues, but not any international championship.
Meanwhile, the international event will be held among teams of India, Germany, Australia and Spain. The state government will be revamping infrastructure and will finalise the venue, as soon as Hockey India confirms the entries of the teams.
“Several other prestigious events will also be organised in the state to give a boost to sporting culture in Punjab. We have a strong bond with sports, which is not only reflected in hockey but in cricket and other games as well,” said Mann. He added, “I recently interacted with Hockey India president Dilip Kumar Tirkey and requested him to allot us some important tournament. It is planning to host the U-21 Four-Nation Youth Hockey Cup, and he assured that Punjab will host this event. It will not only help the state to upgrade the stadiums, but also encourage the youth to play hockey.”
The Khedan Watan Punjab Dian is organised by the state government every year, which is a right step towards providing a platform to the players for showcasing their talent. The Chief Minister felicitated the veteran players of 1975 Indian Hockey team and disbursed cash prize worth Rs 3.99 crore to 107 players who had recently participated in National Games. Also, Rs 9.65-crore prizes were given away to players who had won medals in Khedan Watan Punjab Dian and Para Kheda Watan Punjab Diyan.
