Jalandhar hosts vibrant start to Hockey India's Centenary

The centenary celebrations of Hockey India commenced with great enthusiasm at the Surjit Hockey Stadium, where Surjit-XI and P.I.S.-XI registered impressive victories in two exhibition matches.

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Dronacharya Awardee and Olympian Rajinder Singh (Junior) graced the occasion as the chief guest and was introduced to the participating teams.

Iqbal Singh Sandhu, CEO of Surjit Hockey Academy, welcomed him warmly and highlighted the significance of Hockey India’s 100-year milestone, emphasising the rich legacy and continued growth of the sport in the country.

In the opening match, Surjit-XI displayed outstanding form to defeat ALFA-XI 4-1. Leading 2-1 at halftime, Surjit-XI maintained their dominance in the second half. Aryan, Mohit, Aditya Swami, and Harish scored a goal each for the winners, while Nitish and Vikas found the net for ALFA-XI.

The second encounter saw P.I.S.-XI edge past Jalandhar-XI 2-1 in a nail-biting contest. Yuvraj Singh gave P.I.S.-XI the lead in the 10th minute with a fine field goal, a scoreline they held until halftime. Harekambir Singh equalised for Jalandhar-XI in the 40th minute, but Yuvraj once again rose to the occasion, netting another brilliant field goal in the 49th minute to secure victory for his team.

The matches marked a vibrant start to Hockey India’s centenary celebrations, celebrating a century of passion, pride and sporting excellence.