A two-day hockey tournament in memory of martyred cop Novesh Munda, who lost his life fighting maoists, kicked off at the Mahuadanr block in Latehar district on Tuesday generating a feeling of festivity, police said.

SP Latehar Prashant Anand said a total of eight teams comprising boys and girls from Munda’s village, Durup, participated in the tournament aimed to pay respect to all those who have lost their lives in the extremist-hit Mahuadanr.

The games are being played at the ground of the St Joseph High School Mahuadanr.

“This tournament will drive our point home that police headquarters or the district police will never forget its brave cops and officials who died fighting rebels. The young participants will know the value of martyrdom this way,” he said.

The police have given full hockey kits to the eight teams, which include jerseys, boots and hockey sticks.

The tournament, Anand said, is part of the ‘Abhiyan Sampark’ of Jharkhand Police, which preaches that death is not the end of everything.

“This is a small effort by us to help get connected to people who pay us rich dividends in terms of public trust and confidence,” the police officer said.

Sub-divisional police officer Pratibhan Singh said the tournament has drawn a huge crowd of the students, all of who are showing Covid-appropriate behaviour.