Despite his tireless efforts and that of the Bengal Hockey Association (BHA), somehow the Astroturf didn’t work out at SAI here as expected. And the BHA, after delaying the Beighton Cup by several months, had to finally go ahead and host the prestigious annual tournament on the two unimpressive grass grounds at the Salt Lake SAI complex.

The BHA secretary has reportedly received assurances that the CPWD and its New Delhi-based agent, who mainly failed to install the Astroturf in Kolkata, will eventually finish the task by the middle of 2009.

Following the assurances, Gurbux Singh has decided to celebrate the centenary year of Beighton Cup sometime in September-October this year in grand style at the Astroturf, which will have been laid out at the SAI by then.

Singh said recently: “I tried my best. Even the BHA president had given his best. But the Astroturf, despite having reached the city, could not be installed due to an administrative disaster. Now, we have been promised that the Astroturf will be laid out by the middle of this year. So, we can conduct the event as per our wish, with top foreign teams participating. The Pakistan national team had already confirmed its participation earlier but it didn’t work out.”

Meanwhile, Indian Oil drubbed CESC 3-0 today in a group league match in the Beighton Cup. Inderjit Singh drew first blood in the 22nd minute. Jaswinder Singh doubled the scoreline in the 37th minute and Didar Singh sealed the opposition’s fate in the 50th minute.