Railways Won the Obaidullah Khan Hockey Cup Tournament

• 28 Mar 2022

Why in News?

On March 27, 2022, the Indian Railways men's hockey team won the Obaidullah Khan Heritage Hockey Cup tournament held in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. In the final match, the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) team defeated Army XI by 2 goals.

Key Points

• This prestigious hockey tournament was played at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Bhopal from March 21 to March 27, 2022, in which a dozen teams participated.
• Started in 1931 as the Obaidullah Gold Cup, this prestigious tournament has been going on for several decades and has given many international players during its sporting journey.
• The competition was last played in 2016 and this year it was held again after a gap of six years. The last time this tournament was won was by BPCL in 2016 and the Railways team was the runner-up.
• Joginder of Railways, became 'Man of the Final Match'. While Jasjit was the 'Best Defender' and Niaz Rahim was the 'Best Mid Fielder'. Arjun of Railway team was adjudged 'Man of the Tournament'.
• It is worth mentioning that there are about 3000 active male and female players in Indian Railways. Railways has a vast sports infrastructure across the country including a dedicated Hockey Academy at RCF, Kapurthala.
• The Indian women's hockey team, which finished fourth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, had 12 players from the Railways out of a total of 16 players. The Indian men's hockey team at the Olympics also had two players from the Indian Railways.
• It is worth mentioning that during the year 2021-22, RSPB men's hockey team has participated in 5 national level tournaments and played the final match of all the five tournaments.