Former captain and President of Hockey India Dilip Tirkey stated on Friday that the league will either take place in December 2024 or January 2025, depending on when the international governing body approves it.
HIL was a well-liked competition that helped young Indian players develop into completed goods while also bringing international stars to play in the nation. It ran from 2013 until 2017 with five editions.
Hockey India has previously declared a commercial partner who will be in charge of deciding on franchises. However, FIH still needs to give a window of one and a half months to prevent conflicts with the international calendar before any further action can be taken.
“We will notify everyone as soon as the FIH approves the window,” Tirkey declared in Ranchi following the 13th Hockey India Congress. Eight teams for men and four teams for women make up the agency that is on board.
The league is crucial to Indian hockey, particularly for young players who want to compete against major international stars. Additionally, we can’t wait for the women’s HIL.
Thus, the wait is to secure a window so that the top players in the world can visit us. FIH is considering two options: January 2025 or December 2024.
Vandana Katariya, the forward who this week in Ranchi achieved the landmark of 300 caps for India, was highly praised by Tirkey, who now holds the record for the most international appearances in Indian hockey (412 caps).
The first Indian woman to accomplish the feat was Vandana.
“Very well done, Vandana! Playing 300 games with such commitment is quite an accomplishment,” Tirkey remarked. It is only feasible to accomplish this for the nation if one maintains their level of fitness and performance.
I hope she plays a lot more and serves as an example for up-and-coming athletes of the potential rewards of self-control.
The former captain of India expressed excitement about the upcoming Olympics in Paris and claimed the teams will receive the backing they need.
After qualifying and winning gold at the Asian Games, the men’s squad will now focus on getting ready for the Games.
However, the ladies still need to go through the qualifiers, which were just rescheduled to take place in Ranchi, the current site of the Asian Champions Trophy.
Hockey India intervened to bring the competition to India after China, one of the Olympic qualifying event hosts, earned the quota.
According to Tirkey, Hockey India made the decision to financially assist state organizations that send teams to compete at the Nationals during the Congress.
