Bengaluru, Oct 5 (IANS) Hockey India, on Friday, announced the return of the Hockey India League after a seven-year hiatus which will feature eight men’s teams and six women’s teams, marking the first standalone women’s league in the country that will run concurrently with the men’s competition.

The league will get underway on December 28 with matches played at two venues — Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. The women’s League will conclude on January 26, 2025 in Ranchi while the men’s final is slated for February 1, 2025 in Rourkela.

Harmanpreet Singh, the captain of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team, emerged as a rising star in the previous edition and used the opportunity to study some of the best players in the world to improve his game. He has credited the league on several occasions for raising the standard of hockey in India and expressed his immense pleasure after its announcement.

“There could be nothing better for Indian hockey than the Hockey India League. It was a great learning experience the last time around and I am sure all hockey players are excited to take part in the League. It will be a great opportunity for the youngsters as well to rub shoulders with the best players from across the globe, observe the subtle differences in the way they think, the way they play and try to inculcate the good habits that they notice,” said Harmanpreet Singh.

Harmanpreet Singh scored six goals during the 2017 Hockey India League and was named Upcoming Player of the Tournament. Since then he has taken the hockey world by storm, scoring a whopping 205 goals in 234 appearances for the Indian Men’s Hockey Team.

“Hockey India League was a huge part of my development. The league provided me with a stage to enhance my skills by exposing me to different playing styles under different coaches. Playing in a League, sharing a dressing room with players from various countries opens up your mind and provides you with multiple perspectives and ways of thinking. All this was integral in the resurgence of Indian hockey and it certainly impacted our performance at the Tokyo Olympics where we won the Bronze medal,” Harmanpreet revealed.

The player auction for the HIL 2024-25 will be held from October 13 to 15 in New Delhi. 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. Players will be divided into three slabs with base prices of 2, 5, and 10 lakhs each at the auction.

“The Hockey India League will be much bigger this time; there will also be a women’s League that will run at the same time in both venues. I am confident this experience will turn out to be invaluable for the Indian Women’s Hockey Team in their journey to be one of the best teams in the world. The auction is coming up soon and I would like to wish all the best to all the players taking part. As for myself, I cannot wait to see which team I will represent and begin the hockey revolution again,” he signed off.