High profile Mercantile hockey today

The fifth Mercantile hockey 9-A-Side tournament sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka will take place today at the Astro Turf, Colombo with 16 leading corporate teams competing across four divisions for honours.

In the A Division (MHA President’s Challenge Shield), top contenders HNB, Commercial Bank, Seylan Bank, Sampath Bank and MAS will battle it out. Last year, Commercial Bank and Sampath Bank shared the title as joint champions.

The B Division (MHA Challenge Shield) will feature Browns, Hayleys, John Keells and CIAP while the C Division (MHA Challenge Shield) includes DPMC, Nations Trust Bank, Hemas and FutureLife Holdings with NTB defending their championship title. 

The D Division (MHA Challenge Shield) will have Sampath Bank (B), Deloitte and Singer in action, with Hemas entering as last year’s winners.

The tournament begins at 8.00 am with a clash between MAS and Sampath Bank (A) in the A Division. The day’s events will conclude with the D Division final at 5.00 pm followed by the A Division final at 6.10 p.m. The prize-giving ceremony will be held at 6.45 pm.

Commenting on the tournament, Vengadasalam Balagobi, President of the Mercantile Hockey Association, said: “The Mercantile Hockey Association is the only hockey association in Sri Lanka to conduct four tournaments annually. 

“This year, we have already completed the League and Knockout tournaments successfully. We now look forward to welcoming all hockey lovers to enjoy a day of thrilling, high-intensity competition at the fifth Mercantile hockey 9-A-Side tournament.”