Ludhiana, May 11 -- The Olympian Pirthipal Singh Hockey Festival began on Saturday at the Jarkhar Sports Stadium. Organised by the Mata Sahib Kaur Sports Charitable Trust, the prestigious hockey tournament witnessed the participation of players, sports lovers and prominent personalities from across Punjab.

The tournament was formally inaugurated by Padma Shri Baldev Singh along with Jarkhar Games chairman Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu, Davinder Pal Singh Ladi, chief organiser Jagroop Singh Jarkhar, among others. The dignitaries inaugurated the festival by releasing balloons and interacting with the players of the opening match.

The festival features 16 teams competing in both junior and senior categories. The opening senior match saw Moga de...