CHENNAI: After glowing success in the Asian Champions Trophy and Asian Games in Hangzhou, more than 10 players from that gold medal-winning squad will take part in the 13th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship, set to get underway in Chennai.
For the first time all the top Indian team current players and campers will represent their respective states and compete with each other. The 29 teams divided into eight groups will compete in 39 league-stage matches before playing in the quarter-finals on November 25. The winners of the quarter-finals will face each other in the semis on November 27, and the champions will be crowned on November 28 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium.
Sekar J Manoharan, Hockey India treasurer and Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu said that he was hoping that the Chennai crowd would turn up for the national event. “We are witnessing so many Indian players competing in the Nationals after a long time. We hope to see huge crowds.”