Top players for Muruguppa hockey

Coming in the midst of hectic sporting activity in Madras, the 79th edition of the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournamet will have 12 teams vying for honours at the city's astroturf stadium.

The 11-day championship, beginning on Wednesday, and being played on a league-cum-knockout basis, will have prize-money of Rs 60,000 for the winner, while the runner-up will get Rs 40,000, tournament director Mohammad Ghouse informed.

Punjab and Sind Bank, Bengal XI and IHF juniors will play in Pool A, while reigning champions Air India, Karnataka XI and Punjab Police will be in Pool B. Indian Airlines, Bharat Petroleum and Tamil Nadu Colts XIi are in Pool C and Tamil Nadu XI, Indian Railways and Hyderabad XI in Pool D.

With no preparatory camp on, the national hockey players -- both seniors and juniors -- will be strengthening their respective teams, Indian Hockey Federation secretary K Jyothikumaran said.

The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the quarterfinals.

The tourney will see the implementation of some of the new canons introduced by the Rules Board of the international body, FIH. They include allowing only eight defenders during long-corners in their own 23-metre area -- to reduce crowding in and around the 'D' and encourage attacking options -- besides scoring goals from anywhere in the attacking 23-metres area.