World Series Hockey to start Feb 29

Mumbai - The rebel World Series Hockey, which was postponed last month and which offers prize money of $2 million, starts Feb 29 with Chandigarh Comets taking on Bhopal Badshahs, according to the fixtures released Monday.

The eight-team league, which is being promoted by Nimbus Sports and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), is not recognised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

The other six teams in the league are Sher-E-Punjab (Jalandhar), Chennai Cheetahs, Pune Strykers, Delhi Wizards, Karnataka Lions (Bangalore) and Mumbai Marines.

The league stage would run till March 30 and will be followed by two semifinals slated for April 1, while the final will be on April 2.

The league matches will be played at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. while the opener will commence at 8.30 p.m. The two semifinals will be held at 6 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. while the final April 2 will commence at 8 p.m.

A total of 56 matches have been scheduled in the round robin phase leading to the two semis and the final.

The tournament was orginially scheduled to start Dec 17, 2011 but was postponed for two months after the Indian players requested the organisers to shift it so they could concentrate on the pre-Olympic qualifiers to be held in Delhi Feb 18-26.

The schedule:

Feb 29: 8:30 pm Chandigarh Comets vs Bhopal Badshahs, ChandigarhMar 1: 7:00 pm Sher-E-Punjab vs Chennai Cheetahs, Jalandhar; 9:00 pm Mumbai Marines vs Pune Strykers, Mumbai;Mar 2: 7:00 pm Delhi Wizards vs Karnataka Lions, Delhi; 9:00 pm Mumbai Marines vs Bhopal Badshahs, MumbaiMar 3: 5:00 pm Sher-E-Punjab vs Karnataka Lions, Jalandhar; 7:00 pm Chandigarh Comets vs Chennai Cheetahs, Chandigarh; 9:00 pm Delhi Wizards v Pune Strykers, DelhiMar 4: 7:00 pm Sher-E-Punjab vs Pune Strykers, Jalandhar; 9:00 pm Mumbai Marines vs Chandigarh Comets, MumbaiMar 5: 7:00 pm Karnataka Lions vs Bhopal Badshahs, Bangalore; 9:00 pm Delhi Wizards vs Chennai Cheetahs, DelhiMar 6: 7:00 pm Chennai Cheetahs vs Mumbai Marines, Chennai; 9:00 pm Karnataka Lions vs Chandigarh Comets, BangaloreMar 7: 7:00 pm Sher-E-Punjab vs Delhi Wizards, Jalandhar; 9:00 pm Pune Strykers vs Bhopal Badshahs, PuneMar 8: 7:00 pm Chandigarh Comets vs Sher-E-Punjab, Chandigarh; 9:00 pm Karnataka Lions vs Mumbai Marines, BangaloreMar 9: 7:00 pm Chennai Cheetahs vs Pune Strykers, Chennai; 9:00 pm Bhopal Badshahs vs Delhi Wizards, BhopalMar 10: 7:00 pm Chennai Cheetahs vs Karnataka Lions, Chennai; 9:00 pm Bhopal Badshahs vs Sher-E-Punjab, BhopalMar 11: 7:00 pm Pune Strykers vs Chandigarh Comets, Pune; 9:00 pm Mumbai Marines vs Delhi Wizards, MumbaiMar 12: 7:00 pm Pune Strykers vs Karnataka Lions, Pune; 9:00 pm Bhopal Badshahs vs Chennai Cheetahs, BhopalMar 14: 7:00 pm Mumbai Marines vs Sher-E-Punjab, Mumbai; 9:00 pm Delhi Wizards vs Chandigarh Comets, Delhi.Mar 15: 7:00 pm Pune Strykers vs Chennai Cheetahs, Pune; 9:00 pm Delhi Wizards vs Bhopal Badshahs, Delhi.Mar 16: 7:00 pm Sher-E-Punjab vs Chandigarh Comets, Jalandhar; 9:00 pm Mumbai Marines vs Karnataka Lions, Mumbai.Mar 17: 7:00 pm Sher-E-Punjab vs Bhopal Badshahs, Jalandhar; 9:00 pm Karnataka Lions vs Chennai Cheetahs, Bangalore.Mar 19: 7:00 pm Chandigarh Comets vs Pune Strykers, Chandigarh; 9:00 pm Delhi Wizards vs Mumbai Marines, Delhi.Mar 20: 7:00 pm Chandigarh Comets vs Delhi Wizards, Chandigarh; 9:00 pm Chennai Cheetahs vs Bhopal Badshahs, Chennai.Mar 21: 7:00 pm Sher-E-Punjab vs Mumbai Marines, Jalandhar; 9:00 pm Karnataka Lions vs Pune Strykers, Bangalore.Mar 23: 7:00 pm Pune Strykers vs Mumbai Marines, Pune; 9:00 pm Karnataka Lions vs Sher-E-Punjab, Bangalore.Mar 24: 7:00 pm Bhopal Badshahs vs Chandigarh Comets, Bhopal 9:00 pm Karnataka Lions vs Delhi Wizards, Bangalore.Mar 25: 7:00 pm Chennai Cheetahs vs Sher-E-Punjab, Chennai; 9:00 pm Bhopal Badshahs vs Mumbai Marines, Bhopal.Mar 26: 7:00 pm Chennai Cheetahs vs Chandigarh Comets, Chennai; 9:00 pm Pune Strykers vs Delhi Wizards, Pune.Mar 27: 7:00 pm Pune Strykers vs Sher-E-Punjab, Pune; 9:00 pm Bhopal Badshahs v Karnataka Lions, Bhopal.Mar 28: 7:00 pm Chandigarh Comets vs Mumbai Marines, Chandigarh; 9:00 pm Chennai Cheetahs vs Delhi Wizards, Chennai.Mar 29: 7:00 pm Chandigarh Comets vs Karnataka Lions, Chandigarh; 9:00 pm Bhopal Badshahs vs Pune Strykers, Bhopal.Mar 30: 7:00 pm Delhi Wizards vs Sher-E-Punjab, Delhi; 9:00 pm Mumbai Marines vs Chennai Cheetahs, Mumbai.Apr 1: 6:00 pm Semi Final 1 (Venue to be confirmed); 8:30 pm Semi Final 2 (Venue to be confirmed)Apr 2: 8:00 pm Final (Venue to be confirmed)

- INAS