Hockey India League Returns After Seven Years
The much-awaited Hockey India League (HIL) is all set to return after a seven-year-long gap, with the new edition of the league taking place later this year. The information was confirmed by Hockey India during a press conference on Friday. The league will feature eight men's teams and six women's teams, with matches slated to be held at Rourkela and Ranchi. The tournament is expected to commence on December 28, with the opening ceremony taking place in Rourkela on the same date.
The men's division will be represented by teams from Chennai, Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata, Odisha, Hyderabad, Ranchi, and Punjab, while the women's teams will represent Delhi, Kolkata, Odisha, and Haryana, with the owners of two additional women's teams yet to be confirmed.
The HIL previously ran for five editions spanning between 2013 and 2017, but only the men's teams participated in the league. This year's league will mark the first instance of women's teams being involved in the HIL.
The teams will select their players through an auction scheduled to be held on October 13th, 14th, and 15th in New Delhi. Players can register themselves in one of three categories - Rs 2 lakh, Rs 5 lakh or Rs 10 lakh - and will have a chance to choose their base price. There is no higher limit for bidding during the auction.
The games will be held across two venues - Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. Ranchi will play host to all the women's matches, whereas the men's matches will take place in Rourkela.
The women's league final is scheduled to be held in Ranchi on January 26, 2025, while the men's league final will take place in Rourkela on February 1, 2025.
Future editions of the Hockey India League also seem to be in the pipeline, with Hockey India's general secretary Bholanath Singh stating that the Federation of International Hockey (FIH) has earmarked the end of January to the first week of February window for HIL for the next ten years.
