Mohali, Aug 29 (IANS) The second edition of Punjab Hockey League for junior age group will commence on Sunday (August 31) with eight teams vying for top honours and a prize pool of 30 lakh, the largest ever for a junior-level hockey tournament in the country. The tournament will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Bhagwant Singh Maan, at the Mohali International Stadium.
The league, organised jointly by Roundglass Hockey Academy and Hockey Punjab, aims to provide extensive match exposure to players from the grassroots level and contribute meaningfully to their professional and personal development.
Roundglass Hockey Academy, Namdhari Hockey Academy, Surjit Hockey Academy – Jalandhar, and SGPC Hockey Academy – Amritsar are the teams from Punjab in the fray, while SDAT Hockey Academy – Tamil Nadu, Naval Tata Hockey Academy – Jamshedpur, Ghumanhera Risers Hockey Academy – New Delhi and Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence – Sonipat are the outstation teams that are in the fray.
Speaking on the Punjab Hockey League, Gurpreet Sunny Singh, Founder, Roundglass, said, “At Roundglass Hockey Academy, we believe the future of the sport lies in empowering the next generation. The Punjab Hockey League for juniors is a platform designed to inspire young athletes, give them a taste of top-level competition, and reignite nationwide enthusiasm for field hockey.”
The first phase is scheduled from August 31 to September 9 at the Mohali International Hockey Stadium. The second phase, along with the finals, will take place at the Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar from September 15 to 27, with the final slated for September 27. A total of 60 matches, including the semifinals and the final, are scheduled across the league, with four matches scheduled on each day.
The prize money will be distributed among all eight teams based on their final rankings. Each team is permitted to register up to 20 players, including three players from the Under-21 category (born after 01.01.2005) and 17 players from the Under-19 category (born after 01.01.2007).
Sharing his thoughts on the Punjab Hockey League, Nitin Kohli, President of Hockey Punjab, said, “The Punjab Hockey League will offer regular, structured competition and provide essential match exposure for developing players, but also encourages tactical innovation among coaches. With every team playing 14 matches, the format ensures both growth and consistency. We are confident that this league will become a milestone in our journey to strengthen grassroots hockey in Punjab and inspire similar initiatives across India.
–IANS
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