The Bholath Hockey Cup began today at the iconic Surjit Hockey Stadium, promising an exciting showcase of top-tier hockey talent. Four matches are scheduled on the opening day, drawing strong participation and enthusiasm from players and spectators alike.Adding a unique highlight to the tournament, organisers announced that the Best Player of the Final will be awarded a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, alongside substantial cash prizes for top performers and teams.Chief organiser Mohanbir Singh Bal, an NRI based in Australia originally from Bholath, Punjab, shared the emotional legacy behind the event. He revealed that his father, Avtar Singh Bal, had initiated a kabaddi cup in Bholath over five decades ago.“It has been 57 years since the kabaddi cup began. My father passed away in 2018, and we did not want his legacy to end. In his memory, we continued the tradition. He was a passionate sports lover who played both kabaddi and hockey, which inspired us to introduce the hockey cup this year,” Bal said.He further credited the success of the event to the support of friends and well-wishers, which enabled the organisers to offer significant prize money and prestigious awards.Co-organiser Gurjit Singh emphasized that the tournament aims to promote a vibrant sports culture in Punjab.The men’s competition features eight elite teams competing in a knockout format, including Indian Navy (Mumbai), CAG (Delhi), Indian Army Red (New Delhi), Punjab Police (Jalandhar), Punjab & Sind Bank (New Delhi), Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, Indian Air Force, and Punjab National Bank (Delhi).The stakes are high, with the winning team set to receive Rs 15 lakh, the runner-up Rs 10 lakh, and the third-placed team Rs 5 lakh. Individual accolades include Rs 3 lakh for the Player of the Tournament and the coveted motorcycle prize for the Best Player of the Final.In the women’s category, four teams—CRPF (Jalandhar), BSF (Jalandhar), Round Glass Sports (Mohali), and Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar)—will compete. The winners will be awarded Rs 5 lakh, the runners-up Rs 2 lakh, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will each receive Rs 50,000.