Punjab enter knock-out stage in Vijay Hazare Trophy

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, FEB 29

Punjab recorded 84 runs win over Himachal in their last North Zone League match played at SSCB ground  in New Delhi and qualified for the knock stage of Vijay Hazare Trophy.  

Winning the toss Punjab skipper Harbhajan Singh opted to bat first. Punjab scored 217 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs. Gurkirat Mann (59 off 43 balls with 7x4s), Mandeep Singh (34),  Chandan Madan  (22) ,Taruwar Kohli  (31,, 2x6s) and Manpreet Gony (11 not out) were the main run getters for Punjab.  For Himachal Rahul Singh  (3 for 38) and R.R. Dhawan (2 for 44) were the main wicket takers.

  In reply HPCA were bundled out for 133 in 41.5 overs. They were helped in their cause by A.S.Bali  (26 ), R.R. Dhawan (43 not out, 7x4s, 1x6) and P.S.Chopra (18). For Punjab Manpreet Gony ( 2 for 23), Rajwinder Singh  (5 for 20) and Bipul Sharma (2 for 31) were the main wicket takers. Punjab won by 84 runs and with this win Punjab qualified for knock out stage with No.2 position in the North Zone with 16 points whereas Delhi  are at No.1 position with 19 points.

  Brief scores: Punjab: 217 for 8 in 50 overs (Gurkirat Mann 59, Mandeep Singh 34, Chandan Madan 22, Taruwar Kohli 31, Manpreet Gony 11 not out, Rahul Singh 3 for 38, R.R. Dhawan 2 for 44).

  HPCA: 133 all out in 41.5 overs (A.S.Bali 26, R.R. Dhawan 43 not out and P.S.Chopra 18,Manpreet Gony 2 for 23, Rajwinder Singh 5 for 20 and Bipul Sharma 2 for 31).

Bhopal Badshshs edge Chandigarh Comets

 

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com

CHANDIGARH, FEB 29

Bhopal Badshahs overcame a stiff challenge from Chandigarh Comets in the inaugural match of the first 2012 Bridgestone World Series Hockey (WSH) played at the floodlit Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here tonight. In a fiercely contested match which kept the spectators spell bound, Bhopal Badshahs scored a hard-fought 4-3 verdict after huffing puffing.

Scorers: Bhopal:  Laxman Bhaskaran (6^th, 63^rd) , Gamiet Kyle Geowynne (56^th), Affan Yousuf (61^st)

Chandigarh:  Gurjinder Singh (22^nd PC, 57^th) and Jasjit Singh Kular (29^th, PC).

Tied 3-all till 61^st minute, it was Laxman Bhaskaran who clinched the issue for Bhopal Badshahs by scoring a field goal in the 63^rd minute. It was Bhaskaran’s second goal. Earlier he had put Bhopal Badashahs into the lead in the sixth minute.

Gamiet Kyle Geowynne (56^th) and Affan Yousuf (61^st) contributed one goal each for Bhopal Badshahs.

Chandigarh Comets made it 1-1 through Gurjinder Singh who converted a penalty corner in the 22^nd minute. Gurjinder Singh also scored  field goal in the 57^th minute. In between Jasjit Singh Kular converted a penalty corner in the 29^th minute.

Chandigarh Comet missed the service of their captain Rehan Butt of Pakistan who could not reach Chandigarh for his first match.

Earlier, the Grand Opening featured superstar Saif Ali Khan, singing sensation Mika, super performer Neha Dhupia, ‘Rockstar’ singer Harshdeep Kaur, and many others.

Ajay Maken lauds Bridgestone WSH

Harshdeep Kaur performing during the Opening Ceremony Of Bridgestone World Series Hockey 2012 at Chandigarh.

Mika Singh performing

Saif Ali Khan at Opening Ceremony of Bridgestone World Series Hockey 2012 

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, FEB 29

Passion for hockey dominated the spectacular, star-studded opening ceremony played to a packed audience here at the Sector 42 Stadium in Chandigarh for the inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey. The performance from Bollywood stars and starlets was preceded by an emotional appeal from Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Ajay Maken, who made a passionate appeal to fellow-Indians to support the national game and help it retain its glorious past.

In his stirring video speech which was beamed to millions of people in over 30 countries, and a moved audience which heard the Sports Minister’s speech in rapt silence, Maken said, “Hockey strikes an emotional chord with us Indians – the legacy and tradition of our national sport is and will always be a matter of great pride to us Indians. I congratulate the World Series Hockey and the Indian Hockey Federation for daring to dream and conducting such a grand hockey feast for the people of India and hockey players of the world.”

The Union Sports Minister further said, “We may have lost ground for some time but that’s part and parcel of sports and life. The good news is that hockey is regaining ground and I’m very happy that the World Series Hockey is being held in India. Sports needs sponsors and entertainment to become popular and it’s very heartening that the WSH is taking care of all these issues. It gives me great pride to see as many as 8 world-class floodlight hockey stadiums in 8 cities across India are being used for the WSH. As India’s Sports Minister it gives me great pride to announce that we are launching the first of its kind, a global league for the sport of hockey.”

Maken added, “I’m told that the Bridgestone WSH league will have 59 matches, featuring the top Indian players and global superstars from across the world. This is an unprecedented achievement and unheard of in hockey in any part of the world.”

The Bridgestone World Series Hockey will be held from February 29 to April 2, 2012, and will involve 200 leading players -- Indian and international -- who will showcase their talent in 59 matches and vie for the biggest prize money hockey tournament in the world.

The eight venues for the inaugural edition of the league are Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Jalandhar, Mumbai and Pune. Chandigarh Comets will face-off against Bhopal Badshahs in the first tie of the tournament on their home ground.

Youth FC, Sports Club-23 and Blue Star win

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, FEB 29

Youth Football Club Sector 30 defeated Youngster Football Club by 2-0 in the Chandigarh Senior Football Championship at the Sector 17 Football Stadium here today.

Both teams were evenly-balanced. The match started on a brisk note. Youth Club forwards started attacking Youngsters citadel but could not do any harm in 11^th minute. There constant pressure paid off in the 12^th Minute when right striker Rakesh Singh of Youth Club dribbled passed two defenders and gave a through pass to left striker S,Rawat who opened the account with a powerful shot which beat the youngster goal keeper.

Youngster a got a golden chance but missed it. Youth Club scored their second goal in the 20^th minute through Sunil. Youngster Club failed to reduce the margin in full time and the Youth Club Sector 30  qualified for Super League.

In the second match Sports Club, Sector 23, Chandigarh beat Maruti Football Club Manimajra by  4-0 goals. The Sports Club forwards dominated the proceedings from the kick off and scored the first goal in 13^th minute and the scorer was right winger Budh Singh who scored with solo efforts.

 He was followed by his team mate right striker Lalit Rawat who scored the second goal in the 20^th minute. The frst half score was 2-0 in favour of Sports Club. In the second half Sports Club-23 added two more goals in the 38^th and 51^st minutes through  Balbir Singh and Rajnish, respectively.

In the third match Blue Star Football Club beat Youngmen Football Club, Dadu Majra by 1-0 goal in a well-contested match. Both the teams played attacking football and exhibited good football by showing their skill and attacks. Blue Star dominated the proceedings  and  right striker Manpreet took the possession of ball from midfield and scored the first goal with an angular shot after getting past two defenders of Youngmen Football Club, Dadu Majra. Youngmen Football Clubied hard to equalize but a goal eluded them.

Tomorrow’s matches: Chandigarh Coaching Centre vs DAV Football Club (1 p.m.), Blue Star Football Club        vs Golden Football Club (3 p.m.).

Ludhiana Academy, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana in s-final league

 by sportswire4u.spotblog.com (Balbir)

 CHANDIGARH, FEB 29

Last year’s winners  Ludhiana Basketball Academy, Amritsar District, Kapurthala District, and Ludhiana district have qualified for the men’s semi-final league of the 62^nd Senior Punjab Basketball  Championship being played at the Guru Nanak Basketball Stadium in Ludhiana today.

          In the women’s section holders Kapurthala district, runners-up Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar reached the semi-finals league.

          Ludhiana Basketball Academy men defeated Kapurthala by 37 – 24 points in the morning session. In the second match, Amritsar men beat Ludhiana men by 85 – 69 points.

          In the evening match, Ludhiana Academy beat Amritsar by 69 – 35 points. In the league table, Ludhiana Academy wertr leading with four points for two wins and Amritsar were standing at second position with three points for one win and one loss. Both Ludhiana and Kapurthala were at third spot with one point each for one loss each.

          In the women’s section match played in the morning, Jalandhar district caused an upset defeating last year’s Champions Kapurthala by 62 – 30 points. For Jalandhar, Karamjit Kaur   (17), Surabhi (13), and Navneet (8) points and for Kapurthala, Rajwinder Kaur (14) points were the main scorers.

          In another match, Ludhiana district women beat Amritsar district by 46 – 34 points.

13 teams for Senior Chandigarh Football Meet

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balb
CHANDIGARH, FEB 28
The Chandigarh Senior Men’s State Football Tournament will begin tomorrow at 1.30 p.m. at the  Sector 17 Football Stadium here. According to Chandigarh Football Association general secretary Rakesh Bakshi as many as 13 teams have confirmed their participation.
Prominent teams among them are: Pr. A.G. Audit Haryana , Pr. A.G. Audit Punjab , Panjab University Campus, Coaching Centre Sector 17, Blue Star Club, Youth Club, Golden F.C., Manimajra F.C. , Youth Club Dadumajra & DAV Club are participating.  The state meet is being played on knock-out-cum league basis.
The inaugural match is between youngster Football Club vs Youth Football Club, Sector 30 at 1.30 p.m and the second match will be Maruti F.C. Manimajra vs. Sports Club , Sector 23, Chandigarh at 3.00 p.m. and the last match will be between Youth Club , Dadumajra vs. Blue Star Club at 4.00 p.m.. These are qualifying matches for league. The matches will be supervised by the qualified referees and matches will be played under the rules and regulations of  All India Football Federation, New Delhi.

Ganguly roots for Sehwag as Test captain, Kapil says 'no'

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com

NEW DELHI, FEB 28

 In the backdrop of Team India’s dismal show in two back-to-back overseas tours, former skipper Sourav Ganguly has suggested that M S Dhoni be dropped as a Test captain and retained to lead only ODI and T-20 teams. But Dada’s views were vehemently opposed by Kapil Dev as they participated in a discussion on Headlines Today’s flagship programme ‘Centrestage’.

“If Dhoni has to be captain of the Test team, he has to perform better. Look at his performance. He will not be picked for a Test team,” Ganguly said in reply to a pointed question by Executive Editor Rahul Kanwal.  

Rooting for Sehwag, he said,” Sehwag is a great Test cricketer and a certainty in Tests. See his record as a Test captain. Before Adelaide, he won all that he led. I don’t see Sehwag being dropped from Test matches,” a candid Ganguly said when asked whether India’s performance should lead to a churning in the team. “Sehwag is a great Test player and a certainty.”  Sourav said it be wrong to judge Sehwag for his captaincy of Delhi Daredevils which has failed to make a splash in IPL so far.

To buttress his point about the Indian captain being a better one-day player, Sourav said,” Look at his performance in the tri-series. It was a different Dhoni.”  But he went on to say,” India has lost too many Tests overseas, eight in a row. Is that not a sign enough for making changes?”  In the same breath, the Prince of Kolkata though said Dhoni should be retained as skipper for One-Day and T-20 Teams. “If India has to move forward, selectors have to identify players for different formats of the game.”

As the debate raged on the eve of Indian team’s selection for the Asia Cup, Kapil Dev differed with Dada. “Dhoni has been one of the best captains in recent times and has achieved quit a bit as captain. He has been able to motivate the team which has won laurels.”

In a strong counter to Sourav’s suggestion for making Sehwag Test captain, Kapil said: “Despite being a brilliant player, Sehwag has not given me an impression of being a motivator. It will be wrong to change Dhoni at this stage.”

Countering Ganguly’s remarks on Dhoni’s performance in Tests, Kapil said,” Cricket has changed. What about the top players who failed to perform? Nobody is talking about their failures. It’s wrong to blame the captain.”  Ganguly agreed that the rule needed to be applied to every one equally.

Both Ganguly and Kapil evaded pointed questions on who would be their choice as replacements in the Indian team. But Ganguly said players like Manoj Tiwary deserved a chance. “Non-performers need to go. Otherwise, how do you give opportunity to the likes of Tiwary?”

Hailing Virat Kohli’s heroic knock at Hobart, Kapil said it should help the players develop self-belief in themselves. Ganguly, however, said it had come “a bit too late in the series”. To a question, both said it would be too early to hand over captaincy to him. “He can be a good vice captain material to learn the tricks of the trade,” Kapil said.

All set for the Bridgestone World Series Hockey

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, FEB 28

 The big day has arrived and the inaugural match of the 2012 Bridgestone World Series Hockey (WSH) between Chandigarh Comets and Bhopal Badshahs, will usher a new era in Indian hockey. At every major league, an athlete or team emerges to define the tournament, and both the Comets and Badshahs players are looking to steal the limelight in the historic opener.

The Sector 42 Stadium is humming with activities on the eve of a planned  spectacular opening ceremony, which will begin at 7 p.m. The Grand Opening will feature superstar Saif Ali Khan. The power packed line up of performers include singing sensation Mika, super performer Neha Dhupia, ‘Rockstar’ singer Harshdeep Kaur, and many others.

Bollywood superstar Saif Ali Khan said “I look forward to being a part of the opening ceremony of World Series Hockey. The association of Agent Vinod with this action-packed event was more of an emotional reason as my grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, represented India in hockey. Our national sport has been ignored for a while and an initiative like this will ensure the sport is given its due attention and will resonate well with the youth of India.”

Over the next 34 days beginning from February 29, 200 hockey players from across the world will sweat it out in 59 matches, shown live in more than 30 countries, to clinch the biggest purse in a hockey tournament and the glistening trophy.

Chandigarh Comets are confident about starting their opener with full points. The team had been training hard for the past one week, and head coach Harendra Singh preferred to give his boys “rest”, on eve of the opener, though he made an exception with his goalkeepers and drag flickers to send a strong hint of what to expect tomorrow. The goalkeepers and penalty-corner specialists sweated it out in the evening today under the watchful eyes of the astute former India coach and the team’s Australian-based coach Charles Gaudoin. 

Commenting on Comets’ game plan, Harendra said, “I believe in the EPL policy – to grab full points on home matches. Our boys are raring to go, and though we have high respect for our rivals, there is no question of settling for anything less than a win.”

Bhopal Badshahs have one of the best coaches in India, the man who led India to their last Olympic gold medal, Vasudevan Baskaran. The Badhshahs went through some rigorous work out and strategizing at their home ground, and played one practice match with the four quarters rule which will be tried out for the first time in Indian hockey in the Bridgestone WSH. The indefatigable Baskaran said, “On paper both the teams are equal and we have more or less equal number of youngsters in the team. South African striker Geowynne Kyle Gamiet and Kiwi Casey Henwood bring a lot of experience with them. It will be a first-time experience and hopefully an exciting one to play at 9pm under the floodlight.”

However, question mark remains on the participation  in the WSH of those players who have been directed to attend Hockey India organised National camp in Bangalore from March 5. Reports suggest that these players will not risk to compete in the un-recognised World Series Hockey by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The WSH is the venture of the Indian Hockey Federation.

Teams: Chandigarh Comets (from): Rehan Butt (Captain), Ajitesh Roy, Barkat Singh, Belsajar Horo, Bharat Chhikara, Birendra Lakra Jr, Gurjinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Harjot Singh, Jasjit Singh Kular, Jiwa Mohan, Llyod Stephensonn, Manpreet Singh, Matthew Phillips, Mohd. Amir Khan, P R Sreejesh, P Thirumala Rao, Pramod Kumar, Preetinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Ranjodh Singh, Robert Green, Sandeep Singh, Sanwar Ali, Sarvanjit Singh, Sher Singh Sukwinder Singh (Gabbar); Head coach Harendra Singh; Coach – Charles Gaudoin.

Bhopal Badshahs (from): Sardar Singh (Captain), A B Cheeyanna, Armaan Qureshi, Baljinder Singh, Baljit Singh, Cariappa A D, Casey Henwood, Ganendrajit Ningombam, Geowynne Kyle Gamiet, Girish Ravaji Pimpale, Harbir Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Kangujam Suresh Singh, Karan Bhaskaran, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Armaan Qureshi, Mohd. Sahir, N Senthil Kumar, Raghunath V R, Rajesh Kumar, Sameer Dad, Shailendra Singh Bundela, Shivendra Singh, Tushar Khandker, Waseem Ahmad; Head coach - V Bhaskaran.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter condolences Manna's death

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com

CHANDIGARH, FEB 28

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has expressed his condolences to Sailendra Nath Manna’s wife, daughter and all of Indian Football.

In a letter to the All India Football Federation President Mr. Praful Patel, Blatter wrote: “On receiving the sad news of Sailendra Nath Manna’s passing, both personally and on behalf of the football family, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to his wife, daughter and all of Indian football.”

“Whether as a player, captain or coach, Sailen Manna was an inspirational leader whose contribution to Indian football was justly recognised during his lifetime and will continue to live on in our memories. He will also be remembered for his 19 years service to his club Mohun Bagan, which is another reason to place him among true footballing greats, particularly in the modern age, where such royalty is becoming increasingly scarce,” he added.

“My thoughts and sympathy are with you at this difficult time and I wish you strength as you seek to come to terms with the loss of such an influential figure.”

Asian Football Confederation’s Acting President Zhang Jilong also expressed his condolences. In his letter to Mr. Praful Patel, Jilong wrote: “On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to offer my sincere condolences on the passing away of Indian football legend Sailendra Nath Manna.”

“The list of his contribution to Indian and Asian football is long and impressive, and he will forever live on in the minds of his fans. Manna’s demise marks the end of an era and the world of football will miss him.”

“in this very sad moment, please let his family, friends and loved ones know the Asian family stands by their side and shares in their grief.”

Ludhiana Academy maintain winning spree

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)
CHANDIGARH, FEB 28

 Ludhiana Basketball Academy beat Ferozpur by 43-22 points in the men's section on the second day of the 62^nd Senior Punjab Basketball Championship at the Guru Nanak Stadium here today.

. In second match Amritsar were lucky to win the match by just one point margin (77-76) against Jalandhar.  In a cliff hanger in the last ten seconds of the game Jalandhar were leading by 76-75. In last three seconds of the game, Tejinder Pal Singh of Amritsar scored a basket through driving inside and gave his team victory. 

In the third match, Ropar beat Moga by 81-60 Points.

In the women's section holders Kapurthala defeated Sangrur by 45 – 10 points. In the Second match Ludhiana Basketball Academy defeated Moga by 27-26 Points.  In the last match Jalandhar  beat Mansa District by 45-16 points.

Project Future India Referees Course kicks-off in Delhi

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, FEB 28

The Project Future India Referees Course, a grassroots development project was inaugurated by Mr. Kushal Das, the General Secretary of the All India Football Federation at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.

 The best referees during the start of their career from all over the country duly nominated by their states were called for selection for ‘Project Future India-2012’ batch in Jabalpur on January 30-31, 2012. Thereafter, a selection committee selected 30 of them for the PFI-2012 batch.

 This batch of 30 shall be under dedicated Referees Instructors and Fitness Instructors for two years and undergo three-four training exposures per year. Referees who show potential for growth after each exposure shall be retained and called for next exposures.

 After two years, the best of the lot would be further nurtured through our top level development project for the next two years.

 The intention is to produce as many World Class Referees in India by 2016. This is a continous development project and has been launched for the first-time in India.

 Mr. Pradip Nag, Mr. K Sankar, Ms. Bentla D’Coth, and Mr. M. K Roy are the instructors for the course. A Sports Psychologist and a Coach would also be involved during the later stages.

Chinese youth delegation calls on Ajay Maken

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com 
CHANDIGARH, FEB 28
A six-member core group of Chinese Youth Delegation led by Ms. Luo Mei, Secretary, Secretariat, Central Committee, Communist Youth League of China called on Mr Ajay Maken, Minister of State ( I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports in his office here today.
While welcoming the Chinese delegation, Mr Maken stated that both India and China are not mere societies, they are civilizations and share historical links. He further said that there are so many Chinese words which have organization of or a link with Sanskrit and Pali languages for example, “wumingzhi” (nameless finger) in Chinese is called “anamika” (nameless) in Sanskrit and in Pali. Similarly, some ancient Indian literatures mention “chinas” referring to the Chinese people. The Mahabharata of the fifth century B.C. contains reference to China.
In her response, the Chinese leader Ms. Luo Mei, said that China and India enjoy a lot of commonalities and have a long history of friendship. Both countries face common challenges and opportunities. She hoped that such youth exchange programmes will further deepen the cooperation between the two countries.
During the discussions, Ms Luo Mei also asked Mr Maken about the biggest challenge being faced as Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports. She also wanted to know about the employment scenario in India and policy framework to deal with te issue of migration of youth from rural areas to the cities. Responding to the queries, Mr. Maken stated that skill Development of such large young population is the biggest challenge being faced as Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports. He further informed the Chinese delegation that Prime Minister has set up National Skill Development Council, which is implementing a comprehensive programme to address this challenge by involving important Ministries of Government of India and industry associations like CII & FICCI.
 About employment issue, Mr Maken informed the delegation that with the liberalisation, private sector is taking care of a larger part of employment as compared to the Government sector. He also stated that with the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), under which the work is decided at local level by the Gram Panchayat, has helped in checking migration of rural people to the cities.
 In her response, Ms. Mei stated that the rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in China, they are facing problem of migration of youth from rural areas to the cities. Shri Maken also wished the Chinese delegation a pleasurable and memorable stay in India.

Salary of Nobbs men’s hockey coach hiked

by sportswire4u.blogspot.com 
NEW DELHI, FEB 28
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has raised the salary of India Men’s Hockey coach Mr. Michael Jack Nobbs from 10000 Australian Dollars per month to 11000 Australian Dollars per month with immediate effect in recognition of notable achievement of male hockey players by qualifying for the Olympics, 2012.
The orders to this effect have been issued by the Sports Authority of India today.

Chandigarh Comets face Bhopal Badshashs in WSH opener

 by sportswire4u.blogspot.com (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, FEB 27

After conclusion of the Olympic Qualifying Hockey Tournament in New Delhi and India booking a berth for the 2012 London Olympics, hockey fans will get another golden opportunity to witness top players of the world in action in the inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey to be conducted  from February 29 to April 2. The opening match will be played between Chandigarh Comets, captained by Pakistan’s star Rehan Butt and Bhopal Badhahsar at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium.

 For the first time, 59 live hockey matches played in eight world-class stadia in different cities in Indian in a month, will be beamed to over 30 countries.

The organisers claimed that all players contracted to play in the WSH, including players from India’s successful Olympic Qualifier team, have reaffirmed their participation. These confirmations came despite the latest antics by Indian Hockey Federation's rival body in announcing a 'fictitious camp' for Olympic probables. The IHF and WSH have been informed by the relevant authorities of sport in India that no such camp has been planned or even requested for.  

 Indian Hockey and the path-breaking event, WSH are beyond these petty politics and publicity stunts. In fact, World Series Hockey launched an incentive program called “Strive For Gold” to motivate the Indian hockey team to excel at the 2012 London Olympics. The organisers have announced that WSH player who was part of the victorious squad will be paid Rs 5 lakh each for achieving the first milestone.

The Opening match will be preceded by a spectacular opening ceremony featuring Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan, Mika, Neha Dhupia and many other star performers.

The WSH will  involve 200 leading players -- Indian and international -- who will showcase their talent in 59 matches and vie for the biggest prize money hockey tournament in the world.

The eight venues for the inaugural edition of the league are Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Jalandhar, Mumbai and Pune.