The much-anticipated Hockey India League (HIL) will make its return after a seven-year gap later in the year. (More Hockey News)
The League will involve eight teams from the men’s side and six women’s teams, and the matches will be hosted in two places, namely, Ranchi and Rourkela.
The HIL will get underway on December 28, with an opening ceremony already scheduled to take place in Rourkela on the same day.
The tournament is said to run till February 5.
Who Are The Teams Taking Part?
The men’s side will have teams from Chennai, Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata, Odisha, Hyderabad, Ranchi and Punjab.
The women’s teams will represent Delhi, Kolkata, Odisha, and Haryara. The other two teams are yet to be confirmed.
Who Are The Team Owners?
Men’s Teams
Charles Group - Chennai
Yadu Sports - Lucknow
SG Sports and Entertainment - Delhi
Shrachi Group - Kolkata
Vedanta - Odisha
Resolute Sports - Hyderabad
Navoyam Sports Ventures - Ranchi
JSW Sports - Punjab
Women’s Teams
SG Sports - Delhi
Shrachi Group - Kolkata
Odisha - Navoyam
JSW Sports - Haryana
The premier domestic competition is expected to help India’s international hockey massively with the involvement of top players and coaches from across the globe.
“A clear 35-40 day window will enable maximum participation from foreign players in HIL, thus making it one of the most competitive leagues in the world and also signifies the importance of HIL,” Hockey India President Dilip Turkey was quoted as saying by HIL.
The previous editions of the league has contributed majorly in improving the quality and revival of Indian hockey, which saw the county winning Olympic medals in both Tokyo and Paris.
With the addition of women’s teams in the new edition, sky's the limit, with hopes of booting the national women’s team, who failed to make it to the Paris Olympics.
With Indian Premier League (IPL), Indian Super League (ISL), and Pro Kabbadi League (PKL), aiding India's international success, one can expect HIL will play an important role if the process of it is trusted.
Hockey India League Player Auction
The HIL is set to host a player auction from October 13-15 in New Delhi. There will be three brackets under which a player can register their names - Rs 2 lakh, Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 10 lakh.
All teams will have to build a 24-player team, with 16 Indian players and eight internationals. Out of the 16 Indians, it is also mandatory for the franchises to pick four junior players.
Why was HIL stopped?
The Hockey India League was discontinued in 2017 due to the financial constraints of the team owners.
Where to watch Hockey India League 2024-25?
There is no information available yet on whether and where the Hockey India League matches will be telecast and live streamed in India, but the previous editions were on the Star Sports Network.
