From a worldwide perspective it is hockey’s premier professional sports event. It is the Hockey India League and it only gets better for the long term benefit of hockey globally as a sport. The combination of the best of India’s hockey players with the best of chosen hockey players from outside India are showcased In this event that is scheduled across six venues in India from the 21th January -26th February 2017.
HIL chairman Narinder Dhruv Batra has high expectations for the 2017 competition; “We hope to raise the bar again this season, by increasing reach to more fans via innovative mediums as well as better revenues for players and sponsors. At the heart of its concept, the HIL benefits our Indian players development immensely by allowing them to play alongside some the best players in the world hence learning new techniques that go a long way during the hockey season.”
The six team annual franchise based hockey league is the flagship event of Hockey India – the apex body governing the sport in the country and sanctioned by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The six Franchises battling for supremacy in the richest field hockey league in the world are Jaypee Punjab Warriors, Delhi Waveriders, Kalinga Lancers, Uttar Pradesh Wizards, Dabang Mumbai and defending champions Ranchi Rays. Go to http://league.hockeyindia.org/ and click on teams to see the star studded player / coaches line up.
2016 Coal HIL winners Jaypee Punjab Warriors
Players are assigned to franchises according to a player auction. The players chosen are a combination of Indian players and selected foreign players. In this year’s auction veteran Indian mid-fielder Gurbaj Singh was the most expensive buy. Gurbaj, who has been out of national reckoning due to disciplinary issues for quite some time now, fetched a whopping $99,000 (Rs 67.28 lakh) in a bid by the Ranchi Rays. The 2015 champions also made the highest bid for a foreign player, picking German forward Christopher Ruhr up for $75,000 (Rs 50.96 lakh)
For all chosen players it is an event where they can recoup valuable financial gains to further advance their hockey careers. It is Australia’s Tom Craig’s first appearance in the Coal India HIL which is largely known as one of the most lucrative tournaments in the world hockey calendar. “I remember watching on TV when the first series of Coal India HIL was played, and absolutely loved it. Certainly, for me, I appreciate the opportunity that the Coal India HIL brings as far as professionalizing the game, and this money will most likely go straight towards my university fees,” admits Craig who was bought by the Kalinga Lancers for a handsome USD 67,000.
Testimonies like this is highly important as hockey as a sport marches toward becoming a ‘true’ professional categorised sport globally. The auction has become an event in itself. The following video of a previous auction is worth a view.
The success of the past HIL events has been contributed to the enthusiastic crowds who pack into venues across India to watch the free flowing, entertaining hockey that is performed by the world’s best and the incredible broadcasting of the event match by match to a growing worldwide viewing audience. This is why event sponsors and franchise owners which are generally lacking in hockey circles inject much needed funding to stage the event. Watch below the best of 2016 HIL goals
What is noteworthy about the 2017 event is the purpose to grow the game at the local level. Dabang Mumbai have joinedg hands with Hockey Australia to promote the sport at the grassroots level in the city with a programme named ‘Hookin2Hockey’. The programme will cover modules like ‘Coach the coaches sessions’, ‘Training sessions for juniors (12-16 years), ‘Grassroot programme for U-12′ which will be followed by a ‘Round robin tournament’ on the last day.
So if you are a hockey lover and to date have not followed the previous three Hockey India Leagues then I suggest you take the opportunity to be part of the 2016 viewing audience and watch the excitement of what hockey can produce as a sport. You can watch the 2017 Coal Hockey India League on You Tube as the tournament unfolds.Plus
2017 Hockey India League Channels List
Country Channels
MENA TEN Sports, OSN
Canada One World Sports
United States One World Sports
South Africa SuperSport
India Star Sports
New Zealand Sky Sports
Australia Fox Sports
Pakistan TEN Sports
South East Asia TEN Sports
The 2017 games schedule is
Source: various
