Hockey Perspectives

Title Sponsors Gooncha Group Leaving No Stone Unturned to Make 57th Senior Nehru Hockey Tourney a Big Success

The prestigious Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament has been a massive contributor, in terms of talent supply line to the national hockey team over many decades now. International hockey careers of many illustrious names were shaped via the Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament – the likes of Prithipal Singh, Surjit Singh, Ashok Kumar, Ajitpal Singh, Inam-ur-Rehman, Zafar Iqbal, Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillay among a host of other big names have featured in the Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament over five-six decades.

Read Senior Nehru Hockey Tourney Caravan Moves to Hyderabad

The Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society (JNHTS) – the organizers of the coveted tournament are providing finishing touches to their preparations of hosting the 57th edition of Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament from November 14-25. In a rare departure from the past, the 57th Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament has been moved out of New Delhi and will be played at the South-Central Railways Sports Complex in Hyderabad. What’ more, the organizers have roped in the Goonch Group as the title sponsor of this tournament.

Clearly, having Goonch Group as title sponsors of the 57th Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament is nothing but an organization milestone. “We are delighted to be the title sponsor of the 57th Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament that has a rich history. My late grandfather Inder Mohan Kapur, who was an industrialist and philanthropist, founded the JNHTS in fond memory of India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru after his death in May 1964. It was my grandfather’s first philanthropic pursuit – he had donated Rs 5 lakh in those times. This 57th edition marks our first CSR activity. My grandfather died on August 19, 2020, and to commemorate his death anniversary we had a press conference on August 19, 2021, to announce Gooncha Group’s association as the title sponsor of 57th Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament,” says Goonch Group Executive Director and Vice Chairman, Organizing Committee Yash Bharwani.

Read Rich Legacy of Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament

Bharwani threw light on how the Gooncha Group is gearing up to host the 57th Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament. “We are not a conventional sponsor and have played an integral part in the execution of this tournament. We have changed the tournament logo after 57 years and strived to give the tourney a new look with digital market initiatives and influencers talking about us,” says the Gooncha Group top honcho.

The winners of the 57th edition will receive Rs 4 lakh, while the runner-up team will take home a purse of Rs 2 lakh. A Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 Classic Motorbike will be awarded to the ‘Player of the Match’ award of each match. The 57th Senior Nehru Hockey Tourney has attracted the leading lights of domestic hockey such as Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, Indian Oil, Indian Railways, Army XI, ONGC among a total of 14 teams.

He talked about the happiness of moving the 57th Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament out of New Delhi. “We are committed to having this tourney in Hyderabad not just this year but next year as well. Surely this is a big organizational high for JNHTS.”

The Gooncha Group Executive Director was upbeat about the fact that the country’s men’s hockey team’s Olympic bronze medal would trigger more spectator interest. “We hope that our Olympic bronze feat will drive more spectators at the South-Central Railways Sports Complex and that will be great Indian domestic hockey,” he signs off.