Hockey: RCHC hosts 17th Blue and Gold 7s on October 5 and 6

The 17th edition of the Blue and Gold Hockey Sevens organised by Royal College, Colombo in collaboration with the Royal College Hockey Club (RCHC) will take place on October 5 and 6 from 8.00am onwards at the Royal College main grounds at Reid Avenue. 

This fascinating island hockey tournament is a much-anticipated hockey extravaganza featuring the participation of both boys’ and girls’ schools across the island, which provides young energetic players coming from diverse backgrounds with the unique opportunity and exposure of displaying their skills and talents. 

Fifty five teams will take part in this year’s glamourous, exciting and truly memorable event. 

Singer Sri Lanka has continued its sponsorship for yet another year, coming as the main sponsor while Aiken Pvt Ltd has come forward for the first time as the Platinum sponsor. 

The tournament was not held last year for the first time in 16 year due to bad weather. 

The first edition of the Blue and Gold Hockey 7’s took place in 1992 with a participation of only 16 boys schools. 

Despite the success of the tournament, the continuation was constrained due to funding limitations. 

But after a lapse of ten years, the tournament was recommenced and brought to action on a very grand scale with financial support from Singer Sri Lanka. 

Since then, the tournament has witnessed outstanding progress and has become a trendsetter in improving, developing and evolving the game of hockey in Sri Lanka. 

Back-to-back National Schools’ champions St. Aloysius College - Galle, and the likes of St. Joseph Vaz College - Wennappuwa, St. Thomas' College - Matale, St. Peter’s College - Colombo, and S. Thomas' College - Mount Lavinia along with the hosts Royal College will be in the fore front to win the title for this year in the boys’ category, while six-time champions Seethadevi College - Kandy, emerging team Holy Family Convent - Wennappiwa, and 
Janadhipathi Balika Vidyalaya - Nawala are expected to give their best in the girls category. 

However, with most of the schools outside the scope of Colombo, Matale, and Kandy, we have witnessed many emerging teams displaying brilliant versions of field hockey in their own styles which has indeed disrupted the dominance of the top notch sides in the Sri Lanka schools’ hockey arena. 

The hosts Royal College Colombo lead the tally in the boys’ category with three championships under their belt, followed by Nalanda College, Vijaya College - Matale and St. Joseph Vaz College who have won the tournament twice each while Zahira College - Matale, Wesley College, Vidyartha College - Kandy, St. Thomas' College -Matale, Kingswood College, Trinity College and Ananda College who have won the tournament on a solitary occasion each. 

In the girls’ category, Seethadevi College are leading the tally with a record of six championships and second on the tally is Pushapadana College with four championships while Musaeus College, Vijaya College - Matale, St. Anthony’s Girls College - Kandy, and Janadhipathi Balika Vidyalaya - Nawala have won the tournament one time each. 

The tournament includes a Cup championship, Plate championship and Bowl Championship with all teams initially going through a preliminary group stage of matches followed by a series of knockout games which leaves the two most deserving teams to battle it out for the Cup championship in the grand finale.