Olympic
Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey wants to go international but lack of funds an obstacle
The tournament, which began on Saturday, hosts only the men’s competition and it has struggled to expand into other categories due to funds crunch
Khurram Habib
A sports journalist for 23 years now, having written extensively on cricket, golf, Formula One among other sports. Have also manned desks, sports and otherwise.
01 Nov, 2025
New Delhi: The 35th Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament got underway on Saturday at the Shivaji Stadium with the match between Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB).
The tournament, which comprises eight teams divided into two groups of four, will be held for eight days with the final to be staged on November 8.
“It has been organised here for the last thirty-five years. The Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament Society is behind it. Lal Bahadur Shastri's eldest son, former minister Shri Hari Krishna Shastri began this. He ran this organisation since its inception,” said Anil Shastri, the vice-chairman of the society and the son of the late Prime Minister.
The tournament hosts only the men’s competition and it has struggled to expand into other categories due to funds crunch.
“There are some problems in organising this tournament. Nowadays, if you work in any field -- social service, sports, or art and culture -- you cannot do anything without money. There is a shortage of resources. But with the help of volunteers and other well-wishers, we get funds and sponsors,” added Shastri.
“For example, Bank of Baroda, SBI, and many other companies like Indian Oil -- they all help us and sponsor us. We try to organise this tournament in that budget (funds provided by them),” said Shastri who used to watch hockey with his illustrious father in his childhood.
“We would like to invite international clubs, who are ready to visit us. But there are some problems like where will the funds come from?”
The tournament currently cost the society Rs 50-60 lakh. However, if the society expands it to include foreign teams, then it will cost the society Rs 2 crore.
“I believe the governments, whether it is the Delhi government or the Central government, they should step in to save tournaments such as ours,” said Shastri.
“We are planning to write a letter to the Prime Minister to request government help.”
The fixtures are listed in the following image:
Tags : Shastri Hockey, FCI, PNB, Shivaji Stadium, LB Shastri
