Bengaluru, Oct 8 (IANS) Hockey India League (HIL) is all set to return after a seven-year hiatus with a bang this December, Indian women’s team captain Salima Tete, who hails from Jharkhand, is dreaming of playing the Women's League final on “home turf” early next year.

The midfielder, who was appointed captain after Harendra Singh took over the Indian Women’s Hockey Team earlier this year, expressed her excitement for the Hockey India League, saying, "I am very excited for HIL, it is restarting after seven years and with a Women’s League this time. The whole team has been discussing what a great opportunity this is for us the last few days. We will get to mingle with players from different nationalities, play with them, play against them and improve as players."

"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. And being in a high-performance, professional environment early in their career will do wonders for their development. I expect the HIL will be beneficial for players who have been out of the team as well, giving them an opportunity to compete at the highest level and keep themselves sharp," she added.

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 in Rourkela.

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 auction is coming up soon and 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 the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi so I am not too hung up on it," Salima said.

“It is going to be a great experience to play a full-fledged league nevertheless. It will be our first time playing for a completely new team, new coach, new teammates and I cannot wait for the Hockey India League to begin," she signed off.