Not all is lost for rink hockey

Indian international player Yuvraj Walmiki gave a thumbs up to rink hockey tournaments in the city, but rued it has lost its sheen over the years. The annual Mount Carmel Invitation Floodlit Rink Hockey Tournament 2017 that started on Sunday will be concluding today.

“Rink hockey tournaments bring all hockey players in Mumbai together. The time and space is less and it tests one’s skill. It is very fast paced and this format of the game has always produced plenty of goals. We love to play in this format. I played in Pune and scored 17 goals in the tournament,” said Yuvraj about the five-a-side Senior Hockey National Championship that was introduced for the first time by Hockey India last October.

“The atmosphere used to be amazing. Devinder  (brother) and I were very good in rink hockey. When our schools used to close after March, we used to participate in total five tournaments in Bandra and Malad. But it is losing its sheen, fewer tournaments are happening and there are no more packed houses,” he said.

Yuvraj, who was in the World Cup team in 2014, hasn’t been a regular in the Indian side, but Devinder was a member of the Indian hockey team, which played in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He, though, is looking forward to playing in the four-day Mount Carmel tournament.

“I will be in Mumbai for four days, and I am planning to play at least three matches,” said Yuvraj, who recently came back after playing one month in the German league (Bundesliga) for Flottbek Club in Hamburg.

This tournament in Bandra is played under flood-lights with music, entertainment acts and commentary adding to the excitement and making it a  carnival-like atmosphere. Rink hockey is very popular among the hockey loving public of Bandra and the tournament promises plenty on thrills, spills, action and goals galore.

“Bandra is such a hockey loving suburb, and we are thrilled to have some of the leading teams participating in the men’s, women’s and veteran men’s sections,” said former Indian hockey captain Viren Rasquinha, who is a member of Carmel sports committee and tournament organising secretary.
All the top players from the city, representing some of the leading teams, will be seen in action during the five-a-side tournament. The matches promise to produce top
quality performances.

This is a knockout tournament, and each match will be played over a short 20-minute duration for women and veterans, and 25-minute time durations for participating men’s teams.

Participating teams

Women: Central Railway, Valchandsons SC, Sea View SC, Hockey Lovers, Freunds SC and Western Railway.

Men: Central Railway, Bombay Republicans, Companeroes SC, Wenden Caterers, Union Bank of India, Sea View SC, SAISA, Kripa Foundation, U.K. Hockey, Ave Maria SC and Hockey Santacruz.

Men Veteran’s: Hockey Dadar, Rebels SC, Tata Power SC, Hockey Kalina, Sunday Sultans, Mumbai Port Trust and Dreamliners SC.