Sticks, Storms & Stunners: Rela Hospital - Tamil Hockey League 2026 Erupts at Egmore
- Hockey Tiruvallur
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
The Rela Hospital - Tamil Hockey League (THL) 2026 has roared into life at the SDAT Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Egmore, delivering days of gripping, high-tempo hockey. Organised by Hockey Tiruvallur under the banner "All for Hockey, Hockey for All," the tournament brought together twelve teams across two pools for a festival of the sport played out in front of enthusiastic crowds, even when the rain refused to stay away.
The Teams
Twelve sides are competing across two pools:
Pool A: Indian Bank · Income Tax · Southern Railway · S M Nagar · GST & Central Excise · Sports Hostel of Excellence
Pool B: Indian Overseas Bank · AGORC · Dhyand Veerans · Pattabiram Strikers · Food Corporation of India · Integral Coach Factory
The league runs from August 9 to September 12 at Egmore, with all matches streamed live on i1 Sports TV and stadium entry free for everyone.
Inauguration & Match #1:
SHE Edge Out GST in a Thriller
The league was formally launched and inaugurated at 4:10 PM. The chief guests — Dr. Parthasarathy Srinivasan (Head of Spine Surgery, Rela Hospital) and Mr. Mohamed Farouk (Chief Operating Officer, Rela Hospital) — were honoured by Olympian Padmashree Baskaran and introduced to both teams before the first whistle.
Despite heavy rain, the weather relented and the opening contest between GST & Central Excise and Sports Hostel of Excellence (SHE) got the tournament off to a spirited beginning.
Final Score — SHE 2, GST 1
Team | Scorers |
SHE (2) | S. Vishal (FG) — Q1 · S. Krishnan (PC) — Q3 |
GST (1) | K. Vignesh (PC) — Q2 |
It was a pulsating, end-to-end affair with no quarter asked nor given. Both teams put on an energetic display, and the spectators — treated to complimentary tea — savoured every moment of the thriller.
Match #2: AGORC Outgun FCI in a Seven-Goal Classic
Day two opened at 2:30 PM with a fast-paced, goal-laden clash between AGORC and Food Corporation of India (FCI). Both teams attacked relentlessly, refusing to let the tempo drop.
Final Score — AGORC 5, FCI 3
Team | Scorers |
AGORC (5) | Thrisul Ganapathy (PC) — 14' · Chiran Medappa (FG) — 37' · Thrisul Ganapathy (PC) — 46' · Murugesh (FG) — 55' · Veerathamizhan (FG) — 57' |
FCI (3) | Vavhan (FG) — 36' · Anand (PC) — 47' · S. Akhil (FG) — 59' |
Superior coordination between the AGORC forwards and defence proved decisive. Thrisul Ganapathy led the charge with a brace and dovetailed well with his attackers. FCI matched the intensity, attacking in waves, but a missed penalty stroke ultimately cost them. In the end, the better-drilled side prevailed.
Match #3: Clinical IOB Shut Out Dhyand Veerans
The 4:00 PM fixture pitted Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) against the young Dhyand Veerans side. Rain came down heavily once more, but the game flowed without interruption.
Final Score — IOB 4, Dhyand Veerans 0
Team | Scorers |
IOB (4) | D. Muthuselvan (PC) — 13' · S. Lakshman Sri (FG) — 17' · Harpanthpreet Singh (FG) — 42' · BN Chelsea Medappa (FG) — 51' |
Dhyand Veerans (0) | — |
The teams looked evenly matched early on, but IOB gradually found their rhythm, building cohesion and understanding as the match wore on. The spirited young Dhyand Veerans held firm through the first two quarters before the experience of IOB began to tell. Though outplayed, the Veerans fought tooth and nail to the final whistle.
Match #4: Income Tax Pip Southern Railway in a Seven-Goal Ding-Dong
Day three opened with Pool A action as Income Tax and Southern Railway traded blows in a see-saw contest that stayed alive until the final minutes. Income Tax found the net through four different scorers, edging a game that Southern Railway pushed hard to reclaim.
Final Score — Income Tax 4, Southern Railway 3
Team | Scorers |
Income Tax (4) | Sivamani (FG) — 26' · S. Mareeswaran (FG) — 30' · Jeevakumar (FG) — 40' · S. Naven Raj (PC) — 56' |
Southern Railway (3) | Dinesh Kumar C (PC) — 28' · Murali Krishnan (FG) — 41' · Harjeet Singh (PC) — 45' |
Every time Income Tax pulled ahead, Southern Railway had an answer, with the game level pegging through the middle quarters. S. Naven Raj's penalty-corner strike at 56' proved the decisive blow, and Income Tax held their nerve to open their account with three points.
Match #5: Sports Hostel of Excellence Cruise Past SM Nagar
The second Day 3 fixture saw Sports Hostel of Excellence (SHE) back on the pitch, and the early pace-setters made it two wins from two with a commanding shutout of SM Nagar. A goal in each phase of the game — including a penalty stroke converted by V. Aravind — underlined SHE's growing authority in Pool A.
Final Score — SHE 4, SM Nagar 0
Team | Scorers |
SHE (4) | M. Sundarajith (PC) — 7' · M. Sugumar (FG) — 22' · S. Manikandan (PC) — 47' · V. Aravind (PS) — 55' |
SM Nagar (0) | — |
SHE struck early through a seventh-minute penalty corner and never looked back, mixing set-piece precision with open-play finishing. The clean sheet — the tournament's second — moved them clear at the top of Pool A on goal difference.
THL By the Numbers
Five matches in, and the tournament has served up a feast of hockey. Here's how the action stacks up so far.
League snapshot
Stat | Count |
Matches played | 5 |
Total goals | 26 |
Goals per match | 5.2 |
Clean sheets | 2 |
Biggest win | IOB 4–0 DHV · SHE 4–0 SM Nagar |
With no goalless matches and an average of over five goals a game, THL 2026 has been all about attacking hockey. Of the 26 goals, 14 came from field goals (54%) in open play, 11 from penalty corners (42%), and one from a penalty stroke— a healthy blend of open-play flair and set-piece precision.
Pool A standings
Team | P | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
SHE | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 |
ITX | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
SRL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 0 |
GST | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 |
SMN | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
IND | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sports Hostel of Excellence lead the way with a perfect record and a commanding +5 goal difference from two wins.
Pool B standings
Team | P | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
IOB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 3 |
AGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 3 |
FCI | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 0 |
DHV | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
PTM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
ICF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
IOB and AGORC are level on 3 points atop Pool B, but IOB's superior goal difference — courtesy of a clean sheet — edges them into first.
Golden Stick race — top scorers
Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
1 | Thrisul Ganapathy | AGS | 2 |
=2 | 23 players on one goal each | — | 1 |
Thrisul Ganapathy of AGORC still leads the scoring charts as the only player with a brace both strikes from penalty corners. With 23 players level on a single goal, the race for the Golden Stick remains wide open. The Day 3 scorers now in the hunt include Sivamani, S. Mareeswaran, Jeevakumar and S. Naven Raj (Income Tax); Dinesh Kumar C, Murali Krishnan and Harjeet Singh (Southern Railway); and M. Sundarajith, M. Sugumar, S. Manikandan and V. Aravind (SHE).
Star of the Match winners
Match | Winner | Team |
1 SHE vs GST | Aravindhan (#27) | Sports Hostel of Excellence |
2 AGS vs FCI | Surya N.M. (#30) | AGORC |
3 IOB vs DHV | S. Lakshman Sri (#06) | Indian Overseas Bank |
4 ITX vs SRL | G. Kalaiarasu (#16) | Income Tax |
5 SHE vs SMN | Sibin Balakrishnan (#13) | SM Nagar |
Note: standings and stats reflect the five matches played so far.
Several teams including Indian Bank, Pattabiram Strikers and Integral Coach Factory have yet to take the field.
Come enjoy live hockey with family — stadium entry is free for all.
Catch the action live @i1sportstv youtuve channel
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