Chennai, November 02, 2026: Indian Navy edged out Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) in a thrilling shootout to win the 97th All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey tournament at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Sunday. In the sudden-death, Kuldeep beat the BPCL custodian, while Ankit Malik was the hero for Indian Navy, preventing Sudeep Chirmako from scoring to hand his team the victory and the trophy.
Inaugurating the finals, Chief Guest Thiru N Anand, Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources Government of Tamil Nadu said, “Our Honourable Chief Minister and the Honourable Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development are deeply committed to making Tamil Nadu a leading sporting destination. The State Government is taking several initiatives to strengthen the sports ecosystem, nurture sporting talent and create greater opportunities, including the Olympics. I would like to wholeheartedly appreciate the Murugappa Group for their remarkable commitment to hockey and for sustaining this prestigious tournament for 97 years. This is truly commendable and reflects their enduring contribution to the promotion of the sport. Having watched hockey only on television until now, this has been my first opportunity to experience a game live, and it has been truly wonderful. Playing on artificial turf demands tremendous skill, fitness and endurance. I sincerely appreciate the effort, determination and competitive spirit displayed by both teams, who put up such an engaging performance.”
The Minister also planted a sapling as part of the Murugappa Group’s ‘Plant a Goal’ sustainability initiative, a unique programme that turns every goal scored into a lasting environmental legacy. By supporting large-scale tree planting, the initiative aims to enhance green cover, support biodiversity, and create a positive climate impact while inspiring communities to champion sustainable living.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Arun Murugappan (also known as Mr M A M Arunachalam), Executive Chairman, Tube Investments of India, said "It was a great pleasure to witness the 97th edition of the All India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament. It was a great contest between BPCL and the Indian Navy. And congratulations to the Indian Navy for winning the tournament. The Murugappa Group, along with MCC, is working hard to make the 100th year very special, and we are on the road to 100. This year there were 10 teams, including one from Malaysia, and we hope to bring in more international teams in the coming years. We also had the U-17 Girls’ Schools Hockey tournament for the first time, and it was a great success. This is our way of acknowledging the sport. The initiative to plant saplings for every goal has been successful and it crossed 6,500 saplings.”
Mr R Karthik, President of MCC, added, “This tournament holds a special place for all of us as we approach its centenary year. Sustaining an event for 97 years is a remarkable achievement, and I thank the Murugappa Group for its continued support. MCC is privileged to host this tournament alongside the Murugappa Group, staying true to its motto, ‘Sports: A Way of Life’. I would also like to thank the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) for their continued support. The tournament featured 10 top men’s hockey teams, delivering a week of exciting hockey, sportsmanship and camaraderie.”
The regulation time saw honours being shared with each team finding the net once. Indian Navy went ahead close to the end of the first quarter when Abhishek Topno scored a field goal in the 14th minute. The two teams dished out some enterprising hockey as they looked to score. BPCL scored the equalizer in the 30th minute when Anmol Ekka scored through a penalty corner. The second half saw both sides search for the goals, which, however, didn't materialise.
The match headed to a shootout with the focus shifting to the goalkeepers - Ankit Malik of the Indian Navy and Vikas Dahiya of BPCL.
Ashis Topno opened the tie-break by beating Dahiya to put the Indian Navy in the lead. Charanjeet Singh levelled up for BPCL, going past the opposition’s lead. Pawan Rajbhar scored, but the next two penalty-takers - Deepak Pradhan (BPCL) and Yogesh Singh (Indian Navy) missed, meaning things were all square. Sudeep Chirmako, Harjeet Singh and Devindar Walmiki converted for BPCL, while Kuldeep and K Selvaraj did the job for Indian Navy and it was all even after five attempts each. Moving to the next level in the shootout, during the sudden-death, Kuldeep beat the BPCL custodian, while Ankit Malik from the Indian Navy prevented Sudeep Chirmako from scoring to hand his team victory and the trophy.
The Results:
Finals: Indian Navy 1 (Abhishek Topno 14 FG) drew with BPCL 1 (Anmol Ekka 30 PC). Indian Navy beat BPCL 5-4 in the shootout (Indian Navy: Ashis Topno, Pawan Rajbhar, Kuldeep, K. Selvaraj and Kuldeep in sudden death; BPCL: Charanjeet Singh, Sudeep Chirmako, Harjeet Singh, Devindar Walmiki).
Awards:
|
Man of the match of the finals 2026 |
Ankit Malik (Indian Navy) |
|
Most Promising Player of the tournament |
Ankush (Indian Army) |
|
Best Forward of the Tournament |
K Selvaraj (Indian Navy) |
|
Best Midfielder of the Tournament |
Devindar Walmiki (BPCL) |
|
Best Defender/ Goal-Keeper of the Tournament |
Hairul Haziq (Malaysia Hockey Confederation - Juniors) |
|
Parrys Jaggery Powder Fastest Player of the Tournament |
Simranjot Singh (RSPB) |
|
Parry's Millets Outstanding Endurance award |
Aakib Rahim (Indian Navy) |
|
Hercules’ Most Stylish Player of the Tournament |
Harjeet Singh (BPCL) |
|
Hercules’ High-Performance Player of the Tournament |
Anmol Ekka (BPCL) |
