Sunday Hockey League Ends with Awards and Former Players’ Comeback
Key Points:
- Three-day celebrations featured matches, challenges, and league finale
- Emerging players honored in both men’s and women’s categories
- Former women’s players returned to turf after decades
JAMSHEDPUR – The Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA) concluded the National Sports Day celebrations with the closing ceremony of the Sunday Hockey League on August 31. The week-long program was organized under the Hockey Association of East Singhbhum.
The celebrations followed this year’s theme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, “Ek Ghanta Khel Ke Maidaan Mein,” encouraging people to spend an hour daily in sports.
On August 29, national medalists played an exhibition match. The next day, a Penalty Stroke Challenge engaged grassroots children. Finally, the league’s closing day saw even former women’s hockey players return to the field after years.
The ceremony was attended by Tata Steel and Jamshedpur FC’s Chief Sports Head Mukul Vinayak Chaudhuri as Chief Guest, Hemant Gupta as Guest of Honor, and Gurmeet Singh Rao as special invitee. Chaudhuri said, “Grassroots initiatives like the Sunday League nurture excellence and instill discipline and teamwork among youth.”
The prize distribution highlighted several emerging players.
Men’s category:
- Manual (Tata Steel Foundation)
- Rahul Surin (Bharat Munda Samaj)
- Poulus Purty (Jaipal Munda Samaj A)
- Akash Victor (Jaipal Munda Samaj B)
Women’s category:
- Mahi Soy (Tata Steel Foundation)
- Manish Guria (Jaipal Munda Samaj)
Team awards were also presented. Tata Steel Foundation won the women’s title, with Jaipal Munda Samaj as runners-up. Team Flickers took the men’s title, while Tata Steel Foundation finished second.
The Sunday League has grown into a platform reviving grassroots hockey in Jharkhand. NTHA continues to engage communities, support young players, and keep alive the state’s rich hockey tradition.
