The world’s oldest hockey tournament, the Beighton Cup, is set to make a grand comeback at the newly inaugurated Vivekananda Yubabharati Hockey Stadium in Salt Lake, Kolkata. First held in 1895, this will mark the 126th edition of the competition, following some irregularities in recent years.
The opening press conference was held at the media box of the new stadium and was graced by Hockey Bengal President Shri Sujit Bose and West Bengal Sports Minister Shri Aroop Biswas.
The newly inaugurated stadium has an approved budget of ₹20.53 crore, and its turf has been certified by the FIH. With a capacity of 22,000, the stadium is a prestigious addition to Bengal’s sporting infrastructure.
Speaking about the landmark event, Sujit Bose said, “I express my heartfelt gratitude towards our Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, and my colleague, Shri Aroop Biswas, for making this happen.”
“This marks a huge stepping stone for the sport in the state. Bengal has produced several stalwarts of Indian hockey, such as Leslie Claudius, Vece Paes, and others. We have to revive that golden period,” he added.
Speaking about the tournament’s prize money, he said, “The winners will receive a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and the runners-up will bag ₹5 lakh.”
There have been multiple complaints regarding the lack of facilities for hockey. Since the hockey season is usually held on the Kolkata Maidan grounds, it affects the pitch conditions and prevents football clubs from hosting league matches there, forcing them to shift to suburban venues such as Naihati, Barrackpore, and Kalyani.
Sports Minister Aroop Biswas addressed the issue, saying, “The hockey league matches and tournaments like the Beighton Cup, which were earlier hosted at the Mohun Bagan ground, will now be held at the VYHS.”
“Kolkata football will return to the Maidan, and hockey will also grow,” he added.
Speaking about the vision for Bengal hockey, Sujit Bose said, “We will soon be launching a women’s hockey tournament, and you will hear about it soon.”
“There are also plans to start academies, which will help expand the pool of players,” he added.
The iconic Beighton Cup trophy was also unveiled at Friday’s press conference.
Starting from Saturday, 8 November, the 126th edition of the Beighton Cup will conclude with the grand finale on 16 November. The tournament will feature 15 national teams and six local sides, and the matches will be live-streamed on the SSEN app.
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