New Delhi [India]: Ten days of on-ground action at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai, culminated in seventy minutes of non-stop attack and defense in the final match between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Bengaluru Hockey Association.
After many near misses and hard-fought attempts at the goal, the ONGC team was crowned champions of the 91st MCC Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament. They scored four goals against Bengaluru Hockey Association’s two goals.
The match seemed to be a fight among equals right up to the half time with two goals to each side, after which the competition got hotter by the minute. As the winning team, ONGC took home the prize money of Rs. 5lakh and the runner-up team, Bengaluru Hockey Association received Rs. 2.5lakh.
In addition to the above team prizes, the following individual awards were also given away to the top performing players. Each of these players were given a bicycle from TI Cycles and cash prize of Rs. 10,000.
Best Forward: Jenjen Singh (Bengaluru Hockey Association)
Best Midfielder: Machaiah (ONGC)
Best Goal keeper/ Defender: Diwakar Ram (ONGC)
Most Promising Player of the tournament: Sanjay Xalxo (Hockey Odisha)
Man of the Match of the Finals: Rajkumar Pal (Bengaluru Hockey Association)
Special Award – Parrys Amrit Most Natural Player: Raghunath V.R ( Bengaluru Hockey Association)
Manish N Gour had officiated as the tournament director and was assisted by a team of outstation and local officials.
The final match was a well-attended affair, with A Vellayan, Executive-Chairman of the Murugappa Group giving away the awards to the players and the officials.
The Madras Cricket Club was represented by the President Srivatsan Subramaniyam and Organising Secretary C N Shanmugham among others. Past Olympians, sports enthusiasts and hockey aficionados cheered the teams from the stands. (ANI)