SNBP Group Providing Big Boost to Domestic Grassroot Hockey

Grassroot hockey holds the key to the national team doing well in international competitions. Pune-based SNBP Group of Institutes has been at the forefront of promoting and encouraging grassroot level hockey. It was in 2016 that the SNBP Group organised the All-India Hockey Tournament for under-16 boys and in subsequent years this tourney gained in stature and popularity. The organisers gave a strong push to women’s hockey as well and kickstarted the State-Level Women Hockey Tournament 2018.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought domestic hockey to a halt and the SNBP All-India Hockey Tournament for both sub-junior boys and women were not held last year. But with the pandemic now showing signs of relenting, the SNBP Group is gearing up to host the 5th SNBP All-India Hockey Tournament (Boys’ Under-16) and 3rd State-Level Women’s Tourney in Pune from November 9-15. The 5th SNBP All-India Hockey Tournament will be played at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mhalunge-Balewadi, while the 3rd State-Level Women’s Tourney will be played at the Dasharath Bhosale Hockey Stadium, SNBP International School Chikhali, Pune. The 5th SNBP All-India Hockey Tournament is considered one of the premier sub-junior events in the country and is a categorized Hockey India event.

The 5th SNBP All-India Hockey Tournament (Boys’ Under-16) will feature 1st Hockey India Sub Junior Men Academy National Championship runners-up Odisha Naval Tata Hockey as well as a semifinalist from the same championship – Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). As many as 24 teams are participating in the seven-day tournament. Teams will be divided into 8 pools of 3 teams each which will lead to the pool topper advancing to the quarterfinals. The semi-finals are scheduled for November 14 and the final and play-off matches on November 15

The organizers will offer a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 50,000, and Rs 30,000 to the winners, runners-up, and third-placed teams of the 5th SNBP All-India Hockey Tournament (Boys’ Under-16). The winners, runners-up, and third-placed teams of the 3rd State-Level Women’s Tourney will take home Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000, and Rs 20,000. As many eight teams are taking part in the women’s tournament.