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You must have surely heard of 11 players featuring in a hockey team. You must have also heard of nine-a-side hockey tournaments being played across the globe (Lanco Super Series in Australia readily comes to mind). Now brace up for hockey action featuring five players in each team.
Well, the first-ever 5-a-side Asian Under-16 hockey tournament will be held at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium in Sengkang, Singapore from April 4 to 7. International Hockey Federation (FIH) is taking keen interest in promoting 5-a-side hockey.
The proposed 5-a-side hockey tournament would be played on 41.5×65 meter field with three halves of 15 minutes each with three minutes break in each half. The unique feature of this format is that there will be no goal-scoring circle and players can score from the 11m line.
In case of a draw, two-minute extra time will be allowed. Both the teams would get a two-minute extra time every time they end up in a draw, adding that each time the teams get extra time, their strength will keep on reducing from five to four to three and so on.
Besides hosts Singapore, traditional rivals India and Pakistan along with Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, Bangladesh and Oman are expected to take part in this unique tourney.
Singapore earlier hosted the 2009 Junior World Cup and 2010 Youth Olympic Games.
