National School Games: Hockey final cut short upon arrival of education minister

What's the story?

In a strange turn of events, the final of the hockey boys' category as part of the National School Games was interrupted midway during the clash owing to the arrival of Punjab's Education minister O.P Soni. Following this, the game ended in an abrupt halt and Punjab went on to win 3-0.

In case you didn't know

The 63rd edition of the U-19 National School Games were held in Jalandhar, Punjab under the aegis of the School Games Federation of India. The competition, which kicked off from the 23rd of April 2018 and commenced on the 27th of April 2018, witnessed a participation of over 40 teams across the country.

Heart of the Matter

The summit clash was favoured towards the hosts Punjab, who were enjoying a 3-0 lead, with the Delhi team trying their best to eke out a goal before an initial announcement to stop the match left the players and the match officials with a puzzled look on their faces.

However, as the minister made his way to the turf, the players rushed up to form a queue in the sweltering heat. The minister then made his way to the dais where he addressed the gathering ahead of a cultural performance.

Once the minister departed from the premises, the last 15 minutes of the match was abandoned, leaving the Delhi camp completely baffled by the sudden turn of events.

When Sportskeeda tried to get in touch with the minister O.P Soni, there was no response from his side.

What's next?

The Sports Federation of India will continue on their path to provide the best of facilities and opportunities for the young talents to carve out a career for themselves in the future.

Author's Take

The incident puts to light some of the absurd methodologies followed in the local tournaments which only goes on to remove the flair and confidence of youngsters who put in their best efforts to help their team win.