Asian Champions Trophy in Jalandhar: Hockey Fans Ignore Cricket Jersey Hawkers
Vendors selling cricket-themed jerseys outside the Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium made almost no sales as crowds turned out for the opening Asian Champions Trophy match.
Jalandhar's hockey fever was impossible to miss on the opening day of the Asian Champions Trophy, but it left one group of roadside traders with nothing to show for their trip. Vendors who had travelled to the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium with blue jerseys printed with cricketers' names sold almost nothing, even as thousands of spectators streamed past their stalls.
The problem was simple: the jerseys were on the wrong sport. Fans arriving for the hockey matches asked about shirts bearing the names of hockey players, but the sellers had none to offer. A policeman on duty nearby noted that the vendors had no permission to trade from the footpath and were allowed to stay only as a temporary arrangement. By his account, apart from a few caps, they sold nothing.
The match itself drew a lively crowd despite the afternoon heat. China and Malaysia played a close contest that ended 5-4 in Malaysia's favour, with China mounting a comeback in the closing minutes. Inside the ground, a live band, cheerleaders in salwar suits and loud music kept the atmosphere upbeat before the evening ceremony.
The event also carried a deeper message about Punjab's hockey heritage. Organisers set aside a special enclosure for the families of former players who helped build India's hockey success, a gesture that tied the tournament to the state's sporting past.
For the vendors, the lesson is about reading the crowd. Some traders said they had hoped to buy sports goods in Jalandhar because prices were lower there, and now they regret not carrying Indian hockey team jerseys. One trader said he hoped to have better merchandise when the tournament moves to Mohali.
The stadium filled to its 7,000 capacity as the day went on, with two more matches, Japan against South Korea and India against Bangladesh, drawing a full house. Whether fans will buy hockey jerseys as the tournament continues is the question now. For a city that loves its sport, the opening day showed that the crowd has already chosen its team. Read the original report in The Tribune.
