Dhyan Chand hockey tourney kicks off in Una

Una, August 28

Teams from as many as nine districts are participating in the two-day state-level Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Tournament that began at the Indira Gandhi AstroTurf stadium in Una city today.

The Under-19 tournament for boys kicked off on the occasion of the National Sports Day today.

Deputy Commissioner Raghav Sharma, who was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony, said state-level tournaments provide a platform for district-level players to showcase their talent and move up to play for the state and the nation. Major Dhyan Chand is known as the wizard of hockey and his birthday is observed as the National Sports Day, he added.

Sharma exhorted the players to maintain discipline and display sportsman spirit, both on and off the field. He said, “Sports keeps us mentally and physically fit and also teaches us to respect each other.”

Former Una MLA Satpal Raizada on the occasion said youths should participate in sports activities to keep themselves active and away from drugs.

In the inaugural matches, Una defeated Hamirpur (15-0) and Shimla defeated Kangra (3-2). In the other two matches played today, Sirmaur defeated Solan (9-0) and Mandi defeated Bilaspur (3-1).

District Sports Officer Prince Pathania, hockey coach Ashish Sen, Pulkit Sharma, Ajay Kataria and Jagtar were also present.