The city of hockey wizard Major Dhyanchand, Meerut, is set to host the first All India Womens Hockey Competition from March 1 to March 15, 2023. This event is being organised for the very first time in Meerut since the newly constructed Hockey Astroturf ground at Kailash Prakash Stadium became operational.The Uttar Pradesh Government, through the Directorate of Sports, UP, Khel Bhawan, is organising the All India Womens Invitational Prize Money Hockey Competition. 13 teams of around 200 hockey players from across the country will participate in the tournament. The Hockey Federation of India will conduct the competition with 12 technical officials. Each team will consist of 16 players, one team coach, and one team manager, making around 18 members per team.Participating TeamsThe teams participating in the competition include Lucknow Hostel, SSB Lucknow, Sai Center Lucknow, Northern Railway Delhi, Central Civil Services New Delhi, Sai Center Bhopal, and the team from Madhya Pradesh Pritam Academy Sonepat, Bhawanipur Academy West Bengal, Hisar Haryana, HFB Sonepat Haryana, Steel Plant Around 13 teams from Bhilai MP, SSB Lucknow, Sai Center Lucknow, Sports College Gorakhpur, and Hockey MP.Prize Money and Other BenefitsThe winning team will receive a cash prize of INR 2 lakh, the runner-up will be Rs 1 lakh, and the third winning team will be INR 50,000. Each player will get Rs 400 per diet, and the players bus fare will also be reimbursed daily. Meerut Sports Department will arrange for the players stay during the competition.National Players ParticipationRSO Yogendra Pal Singh stated that around 100 national and 20-25 international players will participate in the competition. Indian hockey team members, including Vandana Kataria, Rani Rampal, and many women players, may also participate.The All India Womens Hockey Competition in Meerut is an excellent opportunity for women hockey players to showcase their talent and skills. This event not only promotes the sport of hockey in Meerut, the city of Major Dhyanchand, but also encourages womens participation in sports. The event is expected to attract hockey enthusiasts and sports lovers from all over the country.
