Rourkela, Sept. 23: The state-level Nehru Cup started at the State Sports Hostel here today. A total of 20 teams from six districts are taking part in the tournament.

The champion team will represent the state in the prestigious All-India Nehru Cup Tournament in New Delhi.

The tournament is being held at three levels. The three-day-long event features junior boys, girls and sub-junior boys' categories. Apart from Rourkela and Sundargarh, teams from six districts - Khurda, Sambalpur, Cuttack, Angul, Dhenkanal and Deogarh - are taking part in the tournament. There are six teams in the junior boys' category, five in the junior girls' category and nine are representing various schools in the sub-junior level.

A.N. Bihari, chief coach of the State Sports Hostel at Panposh, said: "Odisha has done exceedingly well in the national-level Nehru Cup, held among the school teams from across the country. Students of the Birsa Munda High School here have either won or become runners up for more than 15 times. Also the Town High School, where ace hockey player Dillip Tirkey had studied, has also lifted the trophy a couple of times."

Inaugurating the tournament, former Olympian and Hockey World Cup winner Michael Kindo expressed his optimism in Indian hockey.

"I am sure that hockey in India will see brighter days as things are moving in the right direction," said Kindo. He also encouraged the players of the participating teams to take the game seriously, so that it would help them in shaping their future.

The players are extremely enthusiastic about the event. Susanti Minz, a trainee from the Panposh Hostel girls' team playing in the sub-junior level, said: "I am confident that we will qualify for the final and also win the tournament."

Sadhu Kissan of KISS, Bhubaneswar, said: "This tournament is very competitive even though the number of participating teams is low because of high quality players taking part in it."