All-India Hockey steeped in tradition

The MCC-Murugappa All India Hockey Tournament may have lost its charm over the years because of the absence of the top Indian players. But to its credit it must be said that the tournament is still one of the oldest surviving tournaments in a country which has a long history of the game what with its cherished status at the national level.  

Former Indian international Muneer Sait recalls the time when the MCC tournament became MCC-Murugappa combo after the death of K. R. Subramaniam, the organising secretary of the tournament. “I was the member in charge organising the MCC hockey tournament and I enquired M.A.Alagappan,  Velian and M. M. Murugappan, family members of the Murugappa group if we could join together and run the hockey tournament as MCC-Murugappa hockey tournament, which they agreed. Thus, this tournament was born in 1995.” 

All along the MCC hockey tournament was played at the MCC B Grounds on grass, the top teams of the country were reluctant to play on grass as they wanted to play on astro-turf. “As the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium had astro-turf, after convincing the committee of the club and roping in the Murugappa group, we shifted the tournament to Egmore stadium,” recounts Muneer. 

The prominent teams that came to Chennai in the 1970s and 80s were Punjab Police, Tatas from Bombay, Northern Railways from Delhi, North Eastern Railways Calcutta, MEG Bangalore, HAL Bangalore, Southern Railways and ICF from Chennai. 

The crowds used to be huge. Each team had its own fans and to top it all Balaji from Ashok Leyland was the leader of the fans and a draw in the stands. Balaji was so knowledgeable that he knew each and every player by name and each and every umpire and had nicknamed them,” reminisces Muneer. 

I played my best match for SBI against the formidable Northern Railway hockey team whose forward line comprised Harbinder Singh, Gurbux Singh and a strong half-line. There were many other strong teams against whom I played but this was something I remember. Once playing against MEG Bangalore, against VJ Peter and the great Manuel with the penalty corner specialist Murthy in the defence during an attack Manuel was in possession of the ball and I was all alone facing him in the goal, I dived in desperation and before I could wink, Manuel scooped the ball over my head and I was helplessly watching the ball going in. Such was the ball control of Manuel. The crowd was on its feet applauding Manuel and I too had to pat him for the great goal he scored against me,” says the former Indian goal-keeper. 

India’s 1980 Olympic gold medal winning captain Vasudevan Baskaran fondly remembers the days of MCC hockey in the 1970s. “The tournament was held in a professional way that the Governor of Tamil Nadu used to come for the final,” recalls Baskaran. “Great players such as Ajit Pal Singh, Balbir Singh junior, Aslam Sher Khan, Ashok Kumar and Govinda used to be crowd-pullers.” 

Baskaran picked Western Railway as the dream team of that time and its main player Balbir Singh was a big hit with the crowd in Chennai. “He had such a big fan following that they used to bring him to the stadium in an autorickshaw,” Baskaran says with a nostalgic tinge.