Hockey Tourney in Memory of Late Maharashtra Coach William D’Souza!

His hockey deeds earned him respect and admiration all around – late William D’Souza was a popular figure in Pune hockey circles – he had represented Maharashtra in the senior nationals as a goalkeeper and won many laurels for the state. After calling the curtains on his playing career, D’Souza devoted time to coaching. He served as the coach of Hockey Maharashtra for over a decade and was also the head coach at Khadki-based Priyadarshini Sports Center.

His contribution to grassroot-level hockey has been immense. He deserves loads of credit for honing the skills of many hockey players, who went on to represent teams at state and national-level tournaments. D’Souza was instrumental in the Maharashtra women’s hockey team achieving a best-ever 4th place finish in the senior nationals over the last two years.

It was a sad day for Indian hockey, especially a big loss to Maharashtra hockey when D’Souza died of Covid-19 at the age of 53 earlier this year. His demise left a coaching void in the state hockey circles. As a coach, D’Souza always liked to raise the bar and also received certification as a FIH Level I Coach.

As a tribute to the soft-spoken and highly creditable coach, Priyadarshini Sports Center organized the Late William D’Souza Memorial Invitational Hockey Tournament. Rovers Academy won the boys’ crown while 5 Star Club pocketed the girls’ crown.