Vikram Pillay to lead Maharashtra in T20-style hockey Nationals

Olympian Vikram Pillay will lead a nine-member Maharashtra team that will participate in the first Hockey India 5-a-side Senior National Championship that gets underway at the Shiv Chattrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune today (October 26 to 30)

Vikram Pillay

Olympian Vikram Pillay will lead a nine-member Maharashtra team that will participate in the first Hockey India 5-a-side Senior National Championship that gets underway at the Shiv Chattrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune today (October 26 to 30).

The Hockey Maharashtra-organised eight-team competition, to be played for the first time in the country, will be held indoors, on an imported vinyl surface and will be governed by a unique set of rules that are a tad different from the internationally-practised Hockey5s.

The Maharashtra team listen to umpire Javed Shaikh

International umpire Javed Shaikh recently held a workshop to explain the rules to the Maharashtra team at the Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd office. He felt the rules, though a bit confusing, are interesting nevertheless.

"There will be no 'D'. Instead, the field, much smaller than a regular hockey field, will be divided into three parts, differentiated by three lines. Most interestingly, a goal can be scored from anywhere, and that's what makes this format very unique as well as challenging for both umpires and players," Shaikh, an employee of Mumbai Port Trust, told mid-day yesterday.

Explain the rules of the 5-a-side hockey Nationals at the Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd in Churchgate recently. Pics/Bipin Kokate

Coach Edgar Mascarenhas Jr, a former India goalkeeper, felt his team's rich rink hockey experience will keep them in good stead. "The format is a mix of rink and field hockey, so it can be tricky. The goalkeeper's role is most crucial because he can come up to the half-line and use his body to stop any ball.

"Here, we have Adrian D'Souza who is one of the sharpest players in these formats. Up front, we have Yuvraj Walmiki and Girish Pimpale, both very skillful and wily forwards. In defence, Amit Gowda and Vikram are very sturdy," said Edgar.

Maharashtra team: Vikram Pillay (captain), Adrian D'Souza (GK), Girish Pimpale, Yuvraj Walmiki, Amit Gowda, Vikram Jadhav, Rajat Sharma, Abhung Singh, Kunal Jagdale. Coach: Edgar Mascarenhas Jr. Manager: Ranvir Bhatti

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