42nd Surjit Hockey Tournament set to kick off on Oct 23

The 42nd edition of the prestigious IndianOil Servo Surjit Hockey Tournament will be held from October 23 to November 2 at the Surjit Hockey Stadium, Burlton Park, Jalandhar.

The annual event commemorates Sardar Surjit Singh Randhawa, former Olympian and ardent promoter of Indian hockey, who tragically died in a road accident near Jalandhar on January 7, 1984.

As in the past 32 years, IndianOil Corporation Limited, Asia’s largest Maharatna oil company, is the main sponsor. The tournament will follow a league-cum-knockout format, with 12 top teams seeded directly into the league stage. The top two from each pool will qualify for the quarter-finals, followed by the semi-finals on October 31. The final will be played on November 2, with November 1 designated as a rest day.

Among the contenders are defending champions IndianOil (Mumbai), runners-up Bharat Petroleum (Mumbai) and 10 other elite teams.

Attractive prizes

The winning team will receive Rs 6 lakh, sponsored by Gakhal Brothers (USA). The runners-up will take home Rs 2.5 lakh. The Best Player of the Tournament will receive the Mohinder Singh Tut Memorial Award and a cash prize of Rs 51,000, sponsored by Ranbir Singh Rana Tut.

Rewards for spectators

In an effort to attract crowds and promote hockey, organisers have launched the slogan “Watch Hockey – Win ALTO Car”. Spectators and participants will be eligible for prizes including a Maruti Alto car, refrigerators, microwaves and LCD TVs. Daily lucky draws will be held. Spectators will receive coupons at the gate, while participating teams will receive coupons on the day of their first match. The car is sponsored by NRIs Satnam Singh alias Satta Bhalwan and Gurvinder Singh Aujla.

Free entry and cultural show

All matches will be played under floodlights with free entry for spectators. A cultural programme will be held before the final on November 1, featuring Punjabi folk singer Gulab Sidhu from 5 pm onwards.

With high-quality hockey, attractive prizes and cultural celebrations, the 42nd Surjit Hockey Tournament promises to be a grand sporting festival in Punjab.