South Central Railway beat Uttar Pradesh Police 4-2, while Punjab and Sind Bank and CAG played out a 2-2 draw on opening day
Lucknow: The 44th All India KD Singh ‘Babu’ Invitational Prize Money Men’s Hockey Tournament 2026 began at the Padma Shri Mohammad Shahid Synthetic Hockey Stadium in Vijayant Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, on Thursday.
The tournament, being held from November 12 to 20, was inaugurated by Suhas L.Y., Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Sports and Youth Welfare Department. Dr RP Singh, Director of Sports, welcomed the chief guest with a bouquet. Arjuna Award winner Lalit Upadhyay was among the distinguished guests.
Several former Olympians and hockey players, including Devesh Chauhan, Mukul Shah and Mahendra Singh Bora, attended the opening ceremony. The tournament is being conducted under the supervision of Hockey India’s Technical Director Rajesh Chaudhary.
In the opening match, Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) played out a 2-2 draw. Both teams scored once in the first quarter, before PSB moved ahead 2-1 in the second. CAG restored parity through a penalty corner in the 50th minute.
South Central Railway (SCR) defeated Uttar Pradesh Police 4-2 in the second match. SCR took a 2-0 lead through penalty strokes in the 23rd and 26th minutes. Uttar Pradesh Police pulled one back in the 32nd minute, but SCR extended its advantage with field goals in the 45th and 53rd minutes. Uttar Pradesh Police scored again in the 59th minute.
Fixtures for November 13
Three matches are scheduled for Friday: Petroleum vs BSF, GST Chennai vs Air Force, and South Central Railway vs Punjab National Bank.
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