Hockey India League back in business after a 7-year hiatus
Hockey India League (HIL), resurrected after seven years in cold storage, held its auctions in New Delhi last week with franchises – eight men and four women – snapping up players from across the globe. Harmanpreet Singh and Udita Duhan, current national team stars, emerged as the costliest buys at Rs 78 lakh and Rs 32 lakh in men’s and women’s leagues respectively.
“It is not about the money. We are all in this for the development of the sport,” said Rahul Todi of Shrachi, owner of the Bengal Rarh Tigers franchise. While the auction was a success, there are still some lingering questions. Is the league sustainable? Can franchises make money in the long run? How will the league help the future of Indian hockey? There was already a minor setback for the organisers, Hockey India (HI); they had to reduce the number of women’s teams from six to four.
However, the organisers said that the number will go back to six teams in 2026. “A lot of the current stars including Harmanpreet emerged into prominence from the Hockey India League. With back-to-back Olympic medals, there could be no better time to restart the league,” said PR Sreejesh, former India goalkeeper and Delhi SG Pipers team director, who was present for the two days of the auction before donning the hat of junior team head coach and leaving for Malaysia.
The organisers seem to have planned it well, from the choice of venues to the involvement of the former players. The league, which will start on 28 December, will be played in Ranchi and Rourkela --two
