NEW DELHI: The eagerly awaited return of the Hockey India League is about to begin with the Men’s Auction scheduled for Sunday in New Delhi. A total of 400 domestic players and over 150 international players have registered, vying for spots in one of the eight Men’s Teams as the league prepares to kick off in Rourkela later this year.
Each team has a budget of Rs 4 crores to select players across three price tiers: Rs 2 lakhs, Rs 5 lakhs, and Rs 10 lakhs, which will be finalized over the next two days.
The auction will showcase talents like Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Sanjay, Jugraj Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Gurjant Singh, Abhishek, Krishan B Pathak, Sumit, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, and several other prominent Indian players. Former Indian hockey stars, including Rupinder Pal Singh, Birendra Lakra, and Dharamvir Singh, have also registered for the event.
Among the international hockey stars looking to participate in the revamped league are Arthur van Doren, Alexander Hendrickx, Gonzalo Peillat, Jip Janssen, Thierry Brinkman, Dayaan Cassiem, Tom Wickham, Jean-Paul Danneberg, Pirmin Blaak, Jorrit Croon, and Mats Grambusch.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed enthusiasm about the league’s launch, stating, “The Hockey India League is embarking on a new journey, and we are thrilled to see it come to life after years of effort. The impressive number of players participating in the Auction indicates a strong desire from fans and athletes for the league’s return. We anticipate great success for the Hockey India League and look forward to seeing players in action.”
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh added, “All arrangements are ready for an exciting Auction tomorrow. A significant number of players will be auctioned in the coming days, and I wish the best of luck to those who have registered. We look forward to the formation of some strong teams over the next three days.” Each team will consist of 24 players, including 16 Indian players (with a requirement of 4 junior players) and 8 international players, aligning with HIL’s goal of promoting local and global talent.
