Western Command team emerge hockey champions

Jalandhar, July 13

The Army Inter-Command Hockey Championship 2024-25 concluded with a grand closing ceremony at the Vajra Astroturf Hockey Stadium, Jalandhar Cantonment, on Friday evening.

The biennial championship, conducted by the Army Sports Control Board (ASCB) featuring six teams (one each from the six Commands of the Indian Army), is played in a Round Robin format wherein each team plays against every other team. The final match is played between the top two teams of the league stage.

The opening ceremony of the championship was held on July 7 wherein Lt Gen Ajay Chandpuria, GOC, Vajra Corps, was the chief guest. The week-long championship featured intense competition and thrill with each team displaying tactical acumen, physical prowess and unwavering team spirit.

The final match of the week-long tournament was an electrifying showdown between Western Command and Southern Command keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.

The nail-biting match won by the Western Command team came as a climax to the tournament and was witnessed by former Olympians Lt Col RS Kular (retd), Gurdeep Kumar and Col Balbir Singh (retd), who is also an Arjuna Awardee.

The chief guest for the spectacular closing ceremony was Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar, GOC-in-C, Western Command. He gave away the prizes and congratulated all the teams for their remarkable performances and indomitable fighting spirit. The closing ceremony was attended by prominent civil dignitaries of Jalandhar, APS students, NCC cadets and the rank and file of the Vajra Corps. The Indian Army and Jalandhar hockey fields in particular have contributed many national and international hockey stars.