Mumbai: Close to the heels of announcing the Chennai and Bangalore franchise, WSH announces ‘Sai Grace Sports & Events Private Limited (SGSEPL)’ as the franchise owner for Pune. The team will be called Pune Strykers.

The director of ‘SGSEPL’, Manoj Choudhary is a hockey aficionado and has been passionately involved with sports in his personal capacity. He is the promoter of ‘Jewel Products’, one of India’s leading corporate gifting and innovation companies.

Confirming their decision to join World Series Hockey, Manoj Choudhary, Director, ‘SGSEPL’ said, “Pune has a glorious hockey legacy and we felt it was only fitting that the city fields a team in World Series Hockey. We have always involved ourselves in sports and World Series Hockey provides an excellent platform to express our abiding interest in the game. The youth of India will definitely see a new connect with the National Game of the country”.

Yannick Colaco, COO, Nimbus Sport said: “We welcome ‘SGSEPL’ and the Pune Strykers to the WSH family. Manoj’s passion and association with hockey along with his strong business acumen and corporate relationships will definitely ensure the Pune Strykers make an impact in the inaugural edition of WSH.”

The WSH will be held from December 17, 2011 to January 22, 2012 and will involve 200 leading players -- Indian and international -- who will showcase their talent in 61 matches. It will be a multi-city franchise-based League with players being allocated to the teams based on the internationally accepted and practiced ‘draft’ system.

The inaugural edition of the league will comprise eight teams out of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune, Bhopal, Punjab, Ranchi and Rourkela.
Hockey players, for the first time, will have a global platform to exhibit their skills for which they will be financially rewarded. The legacy created by the planned upgrading of infrastructure across the country will benefit hockey for generations to come.