The 126th Beighton Cup got underway at the newly inaugurated Vivekananda Yubabharati Hockey Stadium, on Friday, November 8. The match between Odisha XI and BNR Recreational Club marked the historic first match at the stadium. The Odisha side recorded a 3-1 victory over the Railways side. The second match was a goal-fest between Uttar Pradesh XI and Naval Tata Hockey Academy, ending in a 3-2 victory for the UP side. The 22,000-capacity stadium was fairly packed for both matches.
There was an opening ceremony held at the grassed earthen gallery, which is perhaps the first such facility at any of the Indian grounds. Followed by the cultural event, the chief guests were felicitated. Among the guests were Indian hockey legend Gurbax Singh, top government officials, Hockey Bengal president Shri Sujit Bose, East Bengal’s top official Debabrata Sarkar, and others.
Speaking of the revival of the historic Beighton Cup, Gurbax, who has won the trophy 12 times and played 22 times, said, “I came to Kolkata as a 22-year-old boy in 1957 and in the first season, I won it with East Bengal. It was a historic feat for the club. I have so many fond memories of the tournament.”
He praised the initiative of Hockey India to bring up a new generation of players. “Such tournaments are also important for the young players. We’ll also have to keep an eye on the Junior World Cup,” he said. “It’s a great platform for the youngsters.”
The event was also graced by Indian tennis legend Leander Paes, who also possesses a hockey background through his father Vece Paes. Speaking of the 126th edition of the Beighton Cup, Leander said, “It is so wonderful to see that Bengal sports is growing.”
“Hockey was Baba’s sport, and I congratulate Sujit da (Bose) for this initiative. It’s such a prestigious tournament that has been going on since 1895,” he said. “I wish it success.”
For more updates, follow RevSportz