Last year’s runners-up CAG (Comptroller & Auditors General) will open their campaign against Delhi XI in the opening Pool-C league match of the Mumbai Hockey Association Limited (MHAL) organized 51st All India Bombay Gold Cup Hockey Tournament, which will commence at the MHAL-Mahindra Stadium from Monday, November 28. This ‘blue riband’ event is being conducted under the auspices of Hockey India and will be played on a league-cum-knockout basis and the grand finale, is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7, 2016.
File Photo of last year’s All India Bombay Gold Cup Hockey Tournament
In the opening fixture, MHAL Super Division champs Indian Navy will clash with another local outfit Bombay Republicans in a Pool-D match at 2.30 pm. The second match will be a Pool-B encounter played between Army XI and Central Railway, Mumbai at 4.30 pm followed by the game between CAG and Delhi XI at 6.30 pm.
Twelve leading teams — eight outstation and four local challengers are participating in this 10-day tournament. Besides CAG, Army XI and Delhi the other outstation teams include, former champions Indian Oil, Bengaluru; South Central Railway, Secundrabad; Punjab & Sind Bank, Delhi; Punjab National Bank, Delhi XI and Hockey Karnataka. Western Railway is the fourth local side that will be fighting for the top honours.
MHAL President, Mangha Singh Bakshi pointed out that defending champions, BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited) will not be participating. “BPCL have withdrawn from the competition. Their management cited that since maximum of their players are on National duty; some with the Indian senior team participating in a 4-Nation tournament in Melbourne, Australia and many are in the Indian junior squad that will take part in the Junior World Cup scheduled to commence early next month in Lucknow as the reason for their non-participation,” Bhakshi mentioned.
Oft-crowned champions Air India are also not participating in this event and the reason is due to some domestic issues.
Ram Singh Rathor, Hon. Gen. Secretary, MHAL said, “Hockey India has extended full support to the Bombay Gold Cup. We (MHAL) are confident that with Hockey India’s blessing the tournament will once again be successful and we will try and ensure that the Gold Cup like always is organized professionally and we are determined to make it one of the biggest and best tournament in the country.”
The 12 teams have been divided into four groups of three each and the top two teams from each pool will qualify for the quarter-final (knockout).
The quarter-final matches will be played on December 3 & 4 and the semi-finals on December 6 after a rest day on December 5. The final will be played on Wednesday, December 7.
Hockey India has appointed 13 officials, eight from out of Mumbai and five from the city, to officiate and ensure the smooth conduct of this tournament. Mr. Manish Gour from Central Railway, Nagpur has been appointed as Tournament Director and Mr. Varinder Singh from Air India, as Umpires Manager.
The groupings:-
Pool ‘A’: Punjab & Sind Bank, Delhi; Hockey Karnataka , South Central Railway, Secundrabad.
Pool ‘B’: Indian Oil, Bengaluru, Army XI, Delhi, Central Railway, Mumbai.
Pool ‘C’: CAG, Delhi, Punjab National Bank, Delhi; Delhi XI.
Pool ‘D’: Indian Navy, Mumbai, Western Railway, Mumbai, Bombay Republicans.