Gold Cup back after five year gap

Since then, the damage to the astroturf at Mahindra Stadium caused a five-year hibernation, also paralysing top-level hockey in the city. The BHA has crossed its fingers, praying that the event will not only bring the crowds flocking back to the venue, but also give hockey in the city a long-awaited shot in the arm.

The run-up, however, has been less than auspicious. The managing committee played out a sordid sub-plot last month, when secretary Kishen Lal Passi was forced to resign, to let vice-president PS Sujlana take his place. Passi “withdrew” his resignation at the final moment, but the last word on the controversyhas not been heard.

Then followed BHA’s boorish behaviour during the recent Junior Women’s National. They did not endear themselves to visiting teams by refusing them practice on the `treasured’ turf. This despite collecting a rent of Rs 85,000 from the Bombay Women’s Hockey Association (BWHA), and a further Rs 10,000 for telephones.

BHA’s reasoning was simple. Unable to get a sponsor for the Gold Cup, they sought to mop up funds from wherever they could.

The latest mess is the removal of international umpire Peter Menezes from the panel of referees for the Gold Cup. The move is a throwback to the days of BHA-HAM rivalry, never completely resolved, and was done after the Referees Board threatened a strike, if Peter was included.

Four-time champions each, Indian Airlines and Punjab Police the top two seeds have a direct bye into the pre-quarter-final. Other teams to get that honour are RCF (Kapurthala), Tamil Nadu XI, IHF Juniors XI, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Punjab and Sind Bank, andeight-time champion BSF (Jalandhar). The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) Juniors XI were included at the behest of IHF President KPS Gill, and this will be their second test — after the Murugappa Cup in Chennai — against top teams.

Karnataka XI, Bengal XI and Delhi XI — besides Tamil Nadu — are the three other state teams participating, an anomaly for a tournament meant for club acts. This was done apparently because the states pleaded inability to field strong club teams.

The opening matches will feature local sides, among whom Air-India, with the Gurmit Singh Memorial title this week under their belt, and Bharat Petroleum look the best. The spotlight will be on the latter, with IHF discards Sabu Varkey and Sandeep Somesh raring to prove a point.

The rest of the local teams are not expected to cause a flutter, but they will look to the event as a curtain raiser for the BHA Super League that follows the Gold Cup. Also after a period of four years.

Maharashtra State Police and Rashtriya Chemicals &Fertilisers (Mumbai) open the tournament tomorrow, followed by Sports Authority of India (SAI), Mumbai and Companeroes.