Defending champions Central Railway and Mumbai Customs Red retained their crowns by winning the Women’s and Men’s finals of the Bandra Gymkhana Rink Hockey Tournament respectively, which was played under floodlights at the Bandra Gymkhana Tennis courts.

In a well contested Women’s open summit clash, Central Railway scored twice in the second half against arch-rivals Western Railway to ensure their supremacy in the exciting form of rink hockey. Shivani Singh Saini and Adira Singh sounded the board for the winners with their pristine stick work, much to the dismay of the rivals who put up a good fight till the end.

Later, Mumbai Customs struck two goals in quick succession at the stroke of the half-time to quash the hopes of talented India Rush SC in a scintillating final. Showcasing deft control and speed, Nikhil Pardeshi and Jayesh Jadhav sounded the board in the face of stubborn defence from their rivals for the winners.

In a landmark decision, following the successful conclusion of the week-long event that garnered an impressive turnout of 46 teams from various parts of the country including 18 teams in the Men's category and 14 in the Women's section, while showcasing a diverse range of talent from regions spanning Chhattisgarh to Manipur and a significant fan following, Bandra Gymkhana President, Dr. Cheryl Misquitta, decided to implement equal prize-money of Rs 50,000 each, irrespective of their gender, to the Men Open and Women Open winners of the Bandra Gymkhana Hockey Tournament.

Dr. Cheryl Misquitta on the occasion said, “We believe in promoting gender parity and equality, striving for a world where Men and Women are truly treated as equals. I hope that this initiative will serve as a catalyst for change, inspiring other institutions and sporting federations to follow suit, In addition the same will be a precedent for future sporting events to be hosted by the gymkhana.”

Results

Women Open (Finals): Central Railway 2 (Shivani Singh Saini, Adira Singh) beat Western Railway 0 (HT 0-0)

Men Open (Finals): Mumbai Customs Red 2 (Nikhil Pardeshi, Jayesh Jadhav) beat India Rush SC 0 (HT 2-0)