Hockey India League Set to Make a Grand Return with Player Auction from October 13-15 in New Delhi

Bengaluru, October 8, 2024: After a seven-year hiatus, the Hockey India League (HIL) is poised to make a spectacular comeback this December, featuring an exciting new format with 8 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams. This upcoming season marks the first standalone women’s league in the country, running concurrently with the men’s competition.

The revamped HIL 2024-25 will kick off on December 28, with matches held at two premier venues: the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. The Women’s League is set to conclude on January 26, 2025, in Ranchi, while the Men’s Final is scheduled for February 1, 2025, in Rourkela.

Salima Tete, Captain of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team and a native of Jharkhand, expressed her excitement about playing the Women’s League Final on “home turf.” Tete, who was appointed captain earlier this year under the guidance of coach Harendra Singh, spoke enthusiastically about the HIL’s potential to elevate the sport.

“I am very excited for HIL; it is restarting after seven years and with a Women’s League this time,” Salima said. “The whole team has been discussing what a great opportunity this is for us. We will get to mingle with players from different nationalities, play with them, play against them, and improve as players.”

She emphasized the opportunity for younger players to learn from their senior counterparts in a professional environment, stating, “It will give youngsters who aren’t a part of the Senior Team a chance to see the daily routines of Indian players and foreign players up close. Being in a high-performance environment will do wonders for their development.”

The player auction for the HIL 2024-25 is scheduled to take place from October 13 to 15 in New Delhi, where each franchise will assemble a 24-player squad. The teams must include at least 16 Indian players, with a mandatory inclusion of 4 junior players, alongside 8 international stars. Players will be categorized into three slabs with base prices of 2, 5, and 10 lakhs each during the auction.

As anticipation builds for the upcoming season, Salima noted the excitement surrounding the auction, saying, “There is a buzz around the camp. Since it is the first edition, I would have liked nothing more than to play for the Ranchi team. Hopefully, one of the two remaining Women’s teams is based out of there. However, we will be playing half the matches in Ranchi, so I am not too hung up on it.”

With the HIL set to offer a fresh experience for players and fans alike, Tete is eager for the league’s commencement, concluding, “It is going to be a great experience to play a full-fledged league. It will be our first time playing for a completely new team, new coach, and new teammates, and I cannot wait for the Hockey India League to begin.”