Ten teams to compete in 97th All-India MCC‑Murugappa Gold Cup at SDAT Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium

Ten teams will compete in the 97th All-India MCC‑Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament at the SDAT Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai, beginning on Thursday and running until November 1. A Malaysian side will take part for the second straight year.

The competition is organised into two pools, with the top two teams from each pool progressing to the semifinals on October 31 and the final scheduled for November 1. Matchplay will conclude with the championship match under floodlights. The winning side will receive ₹7 lakh, the runners-up ₹5 lakh and each losing semifinalist ₹50,000.

Individual honours will be presented for the best forward, best midfielder, best goalkeeper, the most promising player of the tournament and the player of the final. Each individual award carries a cash prize of ₹10,000 and a high-end bicycle. These awards will be distributed during the course of the tournament.

Indian Railways, the defending champion, will be aiming for a fourth consecutive title. A press conference to outline the event took place on Wednesday at the Madras Cricket Club, where MCC president R. Karthik, honorary secretary Niranjan Mudaliar and tournament organising secretary S.L. Rajiv Reddy addressed the media. Olympians V. Baskaran, Adam Sinclair and Muneer Sait attended the briefing.

Arun Murugappan, executive chairman of Tube Investments of India Limited, spoke at the press event representing the Murugappa Group. S.L. Rajiv Reddy is identified as the organising secretary of MCC. R. Karthik and Niranjan Mudaliar are listed as president and honorary secretary of MCC respectively.

The ten entrants have been split into two pools for the group stage. Pool-A features Indian Railways - RSPB, Indian Army, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Punjab National Bank and Hockey Karnataka. Pool-B comprises Indian Navy, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, SAI-NCOE Bhopal, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Malaysia Hockey Confederation juniors.

The tournament’s semifinals are set for October 31, with the top two teams from each pool advancing. The final will be played on November 1 under floodlights at the SDAT Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium.