PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, March 23: Tata Steel in association with Steel Plants Sports Board (SPSB) is hosting the All India Inter-Steel Plants Hockey Championship 2022 at Naval Tata Hockey Academy, ISWP Sports Complex, Jamshedpur.
Around 80 participants and officials from across the country will be participating in the championship from Rourkela Steel Plant, Bhilai Steel Plant, RINL Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and Tata Steel Limited.
The three-day championship kicked off this evening and will conclude on March 25.
Neeraj Kant, managing director, Indian Steel and Wire Products Limited (a subsidiary of Tata Steel), graced the occasion as chief guest and Hari Shankar Singh, treasurer and accountant, Tata Workers’ Union, was the guest of honour.
Addressing the gathering, Neeraj Kant said, “Sports has always been an integral to Tata Steel’s philosophy of nation building. It has always promoted sports in all disciplines be it archery, football, tennis, basketball, boxing, and of course, hockey. It encourages its employees and community at large in making it a vital part of their lifestyle. Established in 2017, Naval Tata Hockey Academy aims to revive hockey in Jharkhand and the nearby tribal belt with world-class facilities and qualified coaches and trainers. I request all participants, officials, and members of the organising committee to not let their guard down and follow all COVID-19 protocols during the championship. Play safe and good luck.”
Other guests present for the occasion were the senior leadership of Tata Steel, officials of Tata Workers’ Union, members of the sports advisory committee, participants, coaches, and members of the Sports Division of Tata Steel and Naval Tata Hockey Academy.
The matches during the championship will be conducted by qualified referees from Hockey Jharkhand such as Manoj Pradhan, Nomita Xalxo, Dibya Dungdung and Naveen Minj.
All the matches will be played as per the rules and regulations of Hockey India. This is the second time that Tata Steel is hosting the championship, the first being in 2019.
