Rourkela, Oct. 3: The second Intercity Gold Cup Hockey Tournament concluded here with the Bhubaneswar Sports Hostel Centre of Excellence defeating the SAIL Academy via penalty shootout to clinch the title.
The tournament, which was started by hockey Olympians from the state, aims to give exposure to the talented players in the rural areas with those, who have turned professional, part of an academy or undergoing regimented training.
"When me, Dillip (Tirkey), Prabodh, Lilima and others decided to organise the tournament, the aim was to expose the raw talents to the nuances of the game and make them realise how it is played," said Lazarus Barla, Olympian and an advisor to the event.
Expressing his satisfaction at the success of the tournament, Barla said: "The increased participation this year, in what was the second edition of the event, was an encouraging sign. I think we have become fairly successful in attracting talents, who have remained hidden from the limelight."
This year, 44 teams from rural areas took part in the competition with 12 professional teams.
The tournament, which started on September 26, was played in the knockout format at the Panposh Sports Hostel, considered as the state's hockey nursery.
The facilities provided at the sports hostel, especially the artificial turf, allowed fast-paced hockey to flourish.
"I am regarded as one of the fastest and fittest players in our team, but I exhausted at the end of each game," said Sunil Toppo, a member of the team from Nuagaon. At 13, Toppo was amongst the youngest players to take part. He said: "This is a good exercise for hockey lovers like me."
The innovative format of the tournament is being seen as a positive by many former players as well.
Thirty-five-year-old Victor Minz, who coached the local team, said: "My team could not proceed beyond the second round, but the boys, especially those below 10 and accompanied the team, left with a lot of motivation."
During the inauguration, Barla had said their aim was to spot talents and push them into regimented training. Echoing the same words at the end, he said they were able to spot a few talented players. "I am hopeful about them," he said.
Panposh Sports Hostel coach in-charge Milton Bilung said: "The players in the hostel all benefited as they got to interact with many of their idols and learnt some of the finer techniques."
Former international Stanley Victor Minz, who plays in the Premier Hockey League, said: "Unless they are exposed to a certain level of hockey, they will not get the motivation to perform well. But, our efforts are paying off considering the enthusiasm they displayed."
The players are voluntary contributing to host the tournament. "This is the best way we can give back to the game where we have achieved a lot," said William Xalxo, former Olympian and India international. This time, the veterans donated over Rs 3.5 lakh to the tournament.
Sundargarh collector B.S. Punia, who was the chief guest during the inauguration ceremony, also announced Rs 2 lakh to the organisers.
The winners of the tournament received a cash award of Rs 25,000, while the runners-up received Rs 21,111.
