Gill Club, Ghawaddi, and HTC Rampur clinched the senior and junior titles, respectively, of the 16th JST Olympian Prithipal Singh Hockey Festival.
The tournament was organised by Mata Sahib Kaur Sports Charitable Trust, Jarkhar, at Jarkhar Sports Stadium.
Played under floodlights in a packed stadium, the finals produced thrilling action and saw new champions in both categories.
In the senior final, Gill Club scripted history by defeating Neeta Club, Rampur, 6-4 to lift the title. It was the first time that the Ghawaddi outfit clinched the championship.
The junior category also saw a first-time winner as HTC Rampur edged past Kila Raipur Hockey Centre 1-0 in a closely contested final.
Earlier, in the senior third-place playoff, Jarkhar Hockey Academy beat Amargarh 6-4. In the junior category, Guru Teg Bahadur Academy, Chachrari, overcame Jarkhar Academy 5-4 to secure third position.
Among the individual award winners, Dalvir Singh from Gill Club and Rajvir Singh from HTC Rampur were declared “heroes of the tournament” in their respective categories. Other standout performers included Manpreet Singh Mani from Neeta Club, Kasampreet Singh from Kila Raipur, Rajvir Singh from Jarkhar Academy and Parminder Singh from Chachrari. Each of the performers received a premium bicycle in recognition of their achievements.
Adding colour to the grand finale, children from Dragon Academy enthralled the audience with vibrant Punjabi cultural performances, transforming the stadium into a celebration of sport, culture and community spirit.
Kabaddi superstar Pala Jalalpura, Arjuna awardee Sajjan Singh Cheema, noted sports patron Surinder Singh Bhapa and Punjabi folk singer Jaswant Singh Sandila were among those present at the closing ceremony.
In a major boost for the festival, the JST Truck Permit Group announced financial assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh, reaffirming its commitment to promoting grassroots sports.
Festival organiser Jagroop Singh Jarkhar thanked the players, supporters, sponsors and volunteers for making the event a resounding success. He said the overwhelming response from spectators reflected the state’s undying passion for hockey and village-level sports.
