The much-awaited Hockey India League (HIL) will return after a seven-year gap with the new edition taking place later this year.
In a press conference on Friday, Hockey India has confirmed that the league will involve eight men's teams and six women's teams, and the matches will take place at two venues - Rourkela and Ranchi. The league will begin on December 28, with the opening ceremony scheduled to take place on the same date in Rourkela.
What are the teams?
The men's teams will represent Chennai (owners: Charles Group), Lucknow (Yadu Sports), Delhi (SG Sports and Entertainment), Kolkata (Shrachi Group), Odisha (Vedanta), Hyderabad (Resolute Sports), Ranchi (Navoyam Sports Ventures) and Punjab (JSW Sports).
The women's teams will represent Delhi (SG Sports), Kolkata (Shrachi Group), Odisha (Novayan) and Haryana (JSW Sports). Two more women's team owners are yet to be confirmed.
Previously, the HIL ran for five editions from 2013 to 2017 but the league included only the men's teams. This is the first time the Hockey India League will see women's teams.
How will teams pick players?
A player auction will be held on October 13, 14 and 15 in New Delhi. According to the federation, there are three categories under which a player can register themselves -- Rs 2 lakh, Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh. Players can choose their base price under these categories, and there's no higher limit for their bidding in the auction.
Each franchise will build a 24-player squad, consisting of at least 16 Indian players (with a mandatory inclusion of 4 junior players) and 8 international stars.
Who are the players involved in the auction?
The players' details for the auction are not yet out but ESPN India understands that the best players across men's and women's hockey have registered to take part in the Hockey India League.
Where will the matches take place?
As mentioned earlier, the HIL 2024-25 will see its matches played across two venues -- Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. Ranchi will host all the women's matches while the men's matches will take place in Rourkela.
The women's league final will be played on January 26, 2025, in Ranchi, while the men's final will be held on February 1 in Rourkela.
Why is the revival of the Hockey India League so significant?
The HIL is India's premier domestic competition, which will involve world-class players and coaches. The previous editions of HIL played a pivotal role in improving the overall standards of the Indian men's hockey team, which culminated in India winning the Olympic medals in Tokyo and Paris.
Considering the new edition will see women's teams too, there's hope that it will be a big boost to the national women's team, which had earlier missed out on Paris Olympic qualification.
"HIL will give opportunity for our girls to rub shoulders with the best in the world and also the coaches. Not only tactically, but the players will see how other girls and the coaches prepare. Once they start sharing the dressing room with the best, they get more confidence. They will realise they are not better than us, but equally good. They will learn how to prepare themselves individually. HIL will be the highest level and a very demanding competition. If you see the (rise of) men's team, it's largely because of the previous HILs. Now it's the turn for the girls," Indian women's team coach Harender Singh had earlier told ESPN about the impact of the league.
What about future editions of the Hockey India League?
There are indications that HIL will become an annual feature. Hockey India's general secretary Bholanath Singh said the Federation of International Hockey (FIH) has earmarked the January end to February first week window for the HIL for the next 10 years.
Where will the HIL be shown?
The broadcast details are not yet out, however, the previous editions were shown on ESPN Star Sports.