The 97th edition of the All-India
Adding an international dimension to the event, a team from the Malaysia Hockey Confederation will feature for the second year in a row. The participating sides have been split into two pools, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals, which are scheduled for October 31. The tournament concludes with a floodlit final on November 1.
Defending Champions and Tournament Structure
Indian Railways enters the tournament as the defending champion, aiming to secure a fourth consecutive title. The competition features a strong field of domestic teams, including the Indian Army, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Punjab National Bank, and Hockey Karnataka in Pool A. Pool B consists of the Indian Navy, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, SAI-NCOE Bhopal, the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, and the Malaysian side.
The organizers have announced a significant prize pool for the event. The eventual champions will be awarded ₹7 lakh, while the runners-up will receive ₹5 lakh. Additionally, both losing semifinalists are set to earn ₹50,000 each. Individual excellence will also be recognized, with awards for the best forward, midfielder, goalkeeper, most promising player, and the player of the final. Each individual award winner will be presented with ₹10,000 and a high-end bicycle.
Details regarding the tournament were shared at a press conference held at the Madras Cricket Club on Wednesday. The briefing was attended by MCC president R. Karthik, secretary Niranjan Mudaliar, and tournament organizing secretary S.L. Rajiv Reddy. Arun Murugappan, executive chairman of TI India, represented the Murugappa Group, while Olympians V. Baskaran, Adam Sinclair, and Muneer Sait were also in attendance to mark the start of the competition.
