New Delhi, June 14: The Hockey India League (HIL) will have eight men's and six women's teams in the 2024-25 season.
The HIL has opened player registration for the upcoming edition of the league which is making a comeback after an eight-year-long hiatus, later this year. Players from across the nation are invited to register themselves on or before June 30, the sports national governing body said on Friday.
This is the first time in the history of the sport that an exclusive women's HIL will be hosted simultaneously, underlining Hockey India’s vision to promote women's hockey and subsequently increase the talent pool of women hockey players in India, the Hockey India release read.
Additionally, Hockey India has also invited players from the top 15 hockey playing nations to register their players and support staff for the upcoming season which will be held in the window sanctioned by FIH; the last week of December 2024 to the first week of February 2025.
Commenting on the occasion Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said, "We are elated to open the player registration for the Hockey India League 2024-2025 edition. This step signifies that we are close to restarting the HIL, a league that was loved by hockey players and fans across the world. We are confident that budding Indian hockey players will snatch at the opportunity to play with and against some of the best players in the world."
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh also weighed in saying, "The HIL played a pivotal role in the resurgence of the Indian Hockey Teams and it is a matter of great joy and pride that we are on the verge of restarting it. The league will help improve the standard of young players and propagate a culture of hockey across the nation. We look forward to receiving heaps of applications from India and abroad."
Though few other field sports like cricket and badminton have picked up momentum in recent years, but India's national game hockey is yet to get back its lost glory.
Though Indian men's team did pick a Bronze medal in Tokyo Olympics after 41 years of medal drought, but India is yet to consistently play well against team from the Western countries. May be the HIL can be helpful to achieve such goals. (With IANS support)
