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Hockey Junior World Cup: Winners of Last 5 Editions

The Men's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup, formerly known as the Hockey Junior World Cup, is an international field Hockey.

Nov 15, 2021, 8:28 AM2 min read

The Men's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup, formerly known as the Hockey Junior World Cup, is an international field hockey tournament. International Hockey federation organises this competition. The tournament was started in 1979. And Since 1985 it has been held every four years. Additionally, Competitors must be under the age of 21 as of December 31 in the year before the tournament is held.

Winners of last five editions-Sportz point
Vivek-Sagar FIH Hockey Juunior World Cup Bing

The 2010s - USA Three-Peat

In a stunning win -- its third title of the decade -- Team USA rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat a powerful Canadian team during the January 2017 final. "What a terrific game between two fantastic hockey countries," Bob Motzko, head coach of Team USA, told USA Hockey. "When we got together in Michigan for our camp this summer, there was something special with these guys. ... This is a special group that will forever walk together." additionally he said.

Read also: FIH Men's Hockey Junior World Cup: India announces 18-men squad

2001 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup

champions - India (1st title)

Runner-up- Argentina

Third place- Germany

2005 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup

Champions - Argentina (1st title)

Runner-up - Australia

Third place - Spain

2009 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup

Champions - Germany (5th title)

Runner-up - Netherlands

Third place - Australia

2013 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup

Champions - Germany (6th title)

Runner-up -France

Third Place -Netherlands

2016 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup

Champions - India(2nd title)

Runner-up - Belgium

Third Place - Germany

The 2009 Junior World Cup was held jointly between Malaysia and Singapore. Although Germany defeated the Netherlands 3–1 in the final. Thereafter, the 2013 tournament was held in India from 2 to 17 November 2013. But Germany won the final for a record 6th time defeating France 5–2. France claimed their first-ever medal in the tournament winning silver after losing to Germany.

The 2016 edition was held between 8–18 December 2016 in Lukhnow, India. Likewise defeating Belgium 2–1 in the final. And India also became the first host nation to win the Junior World Cup. India is also the first and only nation to win any type of medal in the junior world cup as a host.

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Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

We have three years before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. So, just making firm predictions who will win what is tough. So, let's just try to make a prediction of who to watch in LA 2028 from India.

Jun 24, 2025, 11:26 AM7 min read

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

LA 2028 is going to see great Olympians continue their greatness, young stars take their next steps, and entire sports leap into the spotlight.

India has already started its preparation for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. India is seeing a great performance in LA, where everyone is expecting to win more than 10 medals. The country feels optimistic with a promising lineup mixed with veterans and young guns that these young men shall not only live up but also exceed expectations when they bring laurels home to India in the LA 2028.

We have three years before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. So, just making firm predictions who will win what is tough. So, let's just try to make a prediction of who to watch in LA 2028 from India.

Also Read: 10 Indian Women Who Made Olympic History

Anahat Singh

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

Well, this might sound wild. But why make only the safe predictions? India expects Anahat Singh to bag the first Olympic squash medal. 

Anahat Singh had already won a medal at the Asian Games at an age of fifteen. She has also quickly emerged as the best female squash player in India. What a time to come out of the shadows for a sport that will have its greatest hour ever when squash is introduced in the Olympic programme in Los Angeles.

Nothing wrong with Anahat being among the world’s best juniors. Each time she competes at a senior event, she is better. Forget Joshna Chinappa, Dipika Pallikal, and Saurav Ghosal, those legends from India might be too old to pick up a racquet and compete in Los Angeles, but Anahat can win for them all.

Anmol Kharb

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

It is not an easy job to emulate PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal. It’s also not an easy assignment to follow a huge success at such a young age with consistent performances later. Teenager Anmol Kharb found that out after she was India’s star at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in early 2024. In high-stakes clashes, she outsmarted players with higher rankings.

Till Tokyo, India had won three consecutive medals in women’s singles badminton; however, that run was stopped in Paris. Kharb possesses tremendous skill and as such, like she showed early this year, has the right attitude. All now remains is to conjure consistency. Anmol can prove to be the third woman that wins her a medal in badminton for India.

Dhiraj Bommadevara

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

The 22-year-old Bullseye archer from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, was a treat to behold at the Olympics in Paris. He finished the men’s individual archery ranking round with a total of 681 out of 720. In the team event, his superb shooting carried India to qualify for the quarterfinals. Turkey edged past Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Pravin Jadhav 6-2 in the quarters of the men’s team event.

Bommadevara made Olympic history as the first Indian archer to reach the mixed team semifinals, along with Ankita Bhakat. The duo finally finished fourth, and silver or bronze medals proved just out of reach. So, with age being his side, he is likely to put up a show at the next Olympics to bring a long due medal home. However, this time we hope he gives us a medal to celebrate at the 2028 Olympics.

Lakshya Sen

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

When Viktor Axelsen says it, how can anyone disagree? The two-time Olympic champion earmarked Lakshya Sen as one of the big contenders for the gold medal in LA after their semifinal in Paris 2024, which Axelsen won in straight games despite being given a scare in both games.

Lakshya is only 23 and has plenty of badminton ahead of him. Like in the Thomas Cup in 2022, and then the Asian Games last year before these Olympics, he has shown time and again that he has the ability to raise his level at big tournaments as well.

Bhajan Kaur

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

The upcoming star of Indian Archery, Bhajan Kaur, who in her tender age of nineteen only, marked her presence in the archery tournament. She ranked 22nd in the women’s individual ranking round with a score of 659. In the Round of 16, she faced Diananda Choirunisa of Indonesia, and her exciting match went into a shoot-off.

Her Olympic journey ended there in the shoot-off; however, she did leave behind a mark as a promising name in Indian archery despite her heroic effort to come back from a facile victory from behind and force a tie. She was known for accuracy. So far, she has been going very well and she was confident of winning at international levels. Her rigorous schedule of training coupled with her recent wins have increased the expectation of a medal in the 2028 Olympics.

Also Read: Most medals by an Indian in a single Olympics

Reetika Hooda

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

Haryana’s girl, Reetika represented her state in the women’s 57kg freestyle category. She went all gung-ho. On August 10, she was knocked out of the Paris Olympics with a close loss to the top-seeded Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan at the women’s 76kg freestyle quarterfinals. On points, the match remained 1-1, but Medet Kyzy won due to the final technical point rule.

Hooda, who has emerged as one of the best athletes in Indian athletics, is getting enough attention these days. With improved personal bests and perfected technique, experts feel she would easily be at stake for a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Reetika’s journey inspires many young athletes, and her potential success in 2028 can well be a historic moment for Indian sports.

Indian Men's Hockey Team

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

There will be changes to the Indian men's hockey team between Paris and the LA Olympics. One thing that won't change is its captain. It's both scary (for the rest of the world) and reassuring (for Indians) to think that Harmanpreet Singh is still only 28 years old.

He's coach Craig Fulton's general now. He's just inspired his team to a bronze medal. The youngsters coming through are showing so much promise. Fulton will oversee those changes, but will still build his side around his captain. Much like PR Sreejesh in Paris, there is a chance that LA sees the team wanting to play for Harmanpreet.

Of course, as Graham Reid found out after Tokyo, there's plenty of potential to fall flat on your face, but if Fulton has his way for the next four years, that first gold medal since Moscow 1980 certainly can't be far away.

Indian Men's Cricket Team

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

Cricket is another sport which might bring a medal for the Indian contingent. Six teams will participate in the event to be held in Los Angeles. As hosts, the USA might receive an automatic qualification spot. Further, England will be participating under the Great Britain flag while the Islands which comprise the West Indies will compete as individual countries, which might weaken them.

Indian Men's Cricket Team has been in brilliant form in the white-ball ICC tournaments in the last two years. The team first clinched the T20 World Cup in 2024 and also won the Champions Trophy 2025. Considering the kind of India’s form and the talent pool they have, the Men in Blue are strong medal contenders and that too for a gold.

Also Read: Cricket may be shifted from Los Angeles at the 2028 Olympics, to attract Indian fans

Jyothi Surekha Vennam

Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

Among the star athletes to expect sometime in LA is Jyothi Surekha Vennam, one of India's most decorated archers. Eight world championship medals, India’s first world title in Compound archery, and 20 World Cup medals, including ten gold medals, are some prestigious accolades proudly owned by her.

Her glorious moment was in Hangzhou, where she created history by winning gold in all three events—individual, women's team, and mixed team compound. In addition to it, she and Ojas Pravin Deotale had won mixed team gold in the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Antalya (April 2023), missing world record status narrowly with a score of 159-154 against Chinese Taipei.

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Full list of nominations of Hockey India Annual Awards 2024

Hardik Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Sangita Kumari and Savita Punia have been nominated for the Hockey India Best Player Award in the Hockey India Annual Awards 2024.

Mar 11, 2025, 8:07 AM3 min read

Full list of nominations of Hockey India Annual Awards 2024 | sportzpoint.com
Deepika has been nominated for the Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year. Image | Hockey India

Hockey India have announced all the nominations for the 7th Hockey India Annual Awards 2024. The award ceremony will take place on 15th March in New Delhi with a record prize pool of approx INR 12 crores. 

Read Also | Yo-Yo Test: Hardik Singh’s Revelation Sparks Debate Between Fitness of Cricketers and Hockey Players

A total of 32 players have been nominated across eight categories for the award ceremony this year. Among all the awards, the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year will be under the spotlight which will honour the best male and female hockey players of India. 

PR Sreejesh - Full list of nominations of Hockey India Annual Awards 2024 | sportzpoint.com
PR Sreejesh has been nominated for the Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2024. Image | Hockey India

During the ceremony, India’s Olympic bronze medal-winning team will be felicitated, along with the Men’s and Women’s teams that won the Asian Champions Trophy in 2024. The Junior Asia Cup-winning Men’s and Women’s teams will also be honoured during the award ceremony.

The award ceremony will also celebrate 50th anniversary of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team’s historic World Cup victory on the same date in 1975—their first and only title to date.

Read Also | The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025

The Nominees for the Hockey India Annual Awards 2024 are:

Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2024 

1. Bichu Devi Kharibam

 2. Krishan Bahadur Pathak

 3. PR Sreejesh

 4. Savita 

Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2023

1. Sanjay

2. Amit Rohidas

3. Harmanpreet Singh

4. Udita

 Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2024

1. Jarmanpreet Singh 

2. Hardik Singh

3. Nilakanta Sharma

 4. Sumit

Read Also | Amir Ali: A Journey From "tin briefcase" to Hockey Glory

 Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year 2024 

1. Lalremsiami

2. Abhishek

3. Sukhjeet Singh

4. Navneet Kaur

 Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21) 

1. Beauty Dungdung

2. Deepika

3. Vaishnavi Vithal Phalke

4. Sunelita Toppo

Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21)

 1. Arshdeep Singh

 2. Amir Ali

 3. Shardanand Tiwari

 4. Araijeet Singh Hundal

Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year (Women)

1. Savita Punia

 2. Salima Tete

 3. Sangita Kumari

 4. Navneet Kaur

Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year (Men)

1. Abhishek

2. Hardik Singh

3. Harmanpreet Singh

 4. Sukhjeet Singh

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The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025

These young athletes have already showed their potential on the international stage, contributing to India’s recent successes. Here’s a look at some rising stars in the Indian hockey setup who are poised to play important roles in the coming years.

Feb 8, 2025, 11:55 AM4 min read

The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025 - Sportzpoint.com

The future of Indian hockey looks promising with a new generation of talented players making their mark at both junior and senior levels. 

These young athletes have already showed their potential on the international stage, contributing to India’s recent successes. 

Here’s a look at some rising stars in the Indian hockey setup who are poised to play important roles in the coming years.

Amir Ali | Defender 

The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025 - Sportzpoint.com

Amir Ali, the captain of the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team, is set to make his mark in the upcoming Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25.

Bagged by Team Gonasika for a remarkable INR 34 lakh at the HIL auction, Amir’s rise from humble beginnings to the top of Indian hockey is nothing short of inspirational.

Amir, who is a defender, recently led the Indian Team to a Junior Asia Cup title win and now he is excited to play in the upcoming Hockey India League while aiming to continue his winning momentum.

Amir also played for the senior Indian team that won gold at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy.

Rohit | Defender

The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025 - Sportzpoint.com

Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team defender Rohit is quickly becoming one of the star defenders in Indian hockey. 

He was an integral part of the 2023 Junior Asia Cup title-winning team, and the Bronze medal-winning team at the Sultan of Johor Cup 2023 and 2024 as well.

Playing for Hockey Chandigarh, Rohit has gained valuable international display, including at the 2023 FIH Junior World Cup.

Ankit Pal | Midfielder

Ankit Pal’s rise in Indian hockey is an inspiring story of resilience. 

At just 19, the midfielder has already represented India at the 2023 Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup, where he made a significant impact.

Known for his ability to transition seamlessly between defence and attack, Ankit is a player with a bright future. 

Mukesh Toppo | Defender

Mukesh Toppo of Odisha is a standout defender in Indian hockey. 

Representing the Punjab Hockey Club Academy, Mukesh has made significant contributions to the Indian junior men’s team.

His defensive skills were on full display during important tournaments like the Sultan of Johor Cup and the Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup. 

Abhishek Nain | Forward

The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025 - Sportzpoint.com

Olympic bronze medal-winning forward Abhishek Nain has quickly established himself as a key forward in the Indian men’s hockey team. 

He made his international debut in 2022 and has since played a crucial role in India’s success at the 2022 Asian Games and Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Having played 74 matches for India, Abhishek is no stranger to high-pressure situations.

Abhishek was the second-highest paid player in the revived Hockey India League auctions behind India captain Harmanpreet Singh (Rs 78 lakh), fetching Rs 72 lakh from Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.

Vivek Sagar Prasad | Midfielder

The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025 - Sportzpoint.com

Vivek Sagar Prasad from Bhopal is one of Indian hockey’s brightest stars. 

At just 17, he became the second-youngest player to debut for India.

Since then, the creative playmaker has made over 100 international appearances for India.

He also led the Indian junior hockey team to a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires.

In the same year, Vivek helped India win bronze at the Asian Games in Jakarta and silver at the Champions Trophy in the Netherlands.

The Indian hockey player was also declared the FIH Men's Rising Star of the Year in 2019.

Playing as a midfielder, Prasad was instrumental in India's bronze medal finish at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.

He was named FIH Young Player of the Year in 2021.

In 2022, Vivek Sagar Prasad helped India win silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

In 2023, He was part of the Indian team that won gold medals at the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai and the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Sanjay Rana | Defender 

The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025 - Sportzpoint.com

The Indian Men's Hockey Team player Sanjay, who is a formidable defender and drag-flicker, made his olympic debut in Paris where the team clinched bronze. 

Hailing from Haryana, Sanjay has already earned a reputation as one of India’s most dependable defenders.

He rose through the ranks at the Chandigarh Hockey Academy, making his international debut in 2019.

Sanjay made his senior team debut in June 2022 and quickly made an impact by helping India win the inaugural FIH Hockey5s. 

He has also participated in major tournaments such as the 19th Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, China, and the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023, where the team clinched Gold medals. 

His performance in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 earned India a 4th position, and he secured a silver medal in the 3rd Youth Olympic Games 2018.

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Hockey India League Auction Starts Today With Over 1,000 Players; Here are the Details

Hockey India League auction kicks off today with 1,000+ players, including legends across men's and women's teams. Here are all the details you need to know.

Oct 13, 2024, 7:00 AM2 min read

Hockey India League Auction Starts Today With Over 1,000 Players; Here are the Details

The most anticipated Hockey India League auction will start today, October 13th, at New Delhi and will continue till October 15th. More than 1,000 players have registered for the auction. This includes more than 400 domestic players. and over 150 international players. Apart from the playing hockey players in India, retired stalwarts like Rupinder Pal Singh and Birendra Lakra.

The women's league has more than 250 domestic players and 70+ overseas players registered for the tournament.

Earlier, Hockey India had already mentioned the limited venues assigned for the tournament. These are: Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. Ranchi will host all the women's matches while the men's matches will take place in Rourkela.

Read Also: Hockey India League back after 7 years: All you need to know about it 

The Team Basics

Irespective of the men's and women's teams, each team can have a maximum of 24 players. Each team cannot bag more than 8 overseas players and should have 24 indigenous players that include at least 4 juniors.

How many teams will play the tournament?

The men's league will play 8 teams this year. The inaugural women's league will play 6 teams. The franchises that have confirmed their investment are

  • Charles Group, 
  • Yadu Sports,
  • JSW Sports,
  • Shrachi Sports, 
  • SG Sports and Entertainment,
  • Vedanta Limited,
  • Resolute Sports,
  • Navoyam Sports Ventures Private Limited

Purse details:

Each of the eight men's team will have a budget of 4 crores, while the women's tean will have 2 crore for the procedure.

As per the auction procedure, there is no upper limit of expenditure on a particular player, but accumulating the required number of players must be done within the purse.

Base price:

Three categories have been induced according to the ranks of each player: Rs 2 lakh (for juniors), Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 10 lakh.

Where to watch the auction?

Hockey India League has initiated their own Hockey India League Youtube channel where they will live stream the entire lauction procedure.

Other than that, DD Sports will broadcast the auction live, from Sunday.

On the first day, ie, 13th October, the auction will start from 2 pm. On the next two days, the auction procedure will commence on and from 9:30 am. in the morning.

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Hockey India League back after 7 years: All you need to know about it

After 7 years, the Hockey India League is making a comeback with a revamped format, with better planning and strong finance, and a dedicated women’s edition.

Oct 5, 2024, 11:10 AM6 min read

Hockey India League back after 7 years

The two-month span from March onwards is a festival beyond the yearly almanac. The Indian Premier League blocks all the mundane schedules for seasonal cricket fans. The grandeur it has and the craze and hype it injects into the audience are unmatched. The cash-rich league managed to get a brother in 2013, in Indian Hockey—The Hockey Indian League (HIL). Their motto was the same: popularizing the sport in the country.

The long-run execution fell short of finance and ceased in 2017. After seven long years, HIL is set to make a comeback. On Friday, October 4, Hockey India will inaugurate their HIL 2.0, having Women's Hockey their first HIL!

Hockey India League 2.0

It is a resurgence, rather than a revamp of the previous edition of the Hockey Premier League, with better planning and steady finance.

The IPL started after the 2007 T-20 World Cup win. This version of HIL is nothing but a by-product of two back-to-back Olympic bronzes and a gold in the Asian GamesHI has announced that the HIL will start with initially 8 teams in the men's and 6 in the women's edition.

A total of 10 franchise owners have come on board.

For the men's event, franchises that came forward are:

  • Chennai- Charles Group, 
  • Lucknow- Yadu Sports, 
  • Punjab- JSW Sports, 
  • West Bengal- Shrachi Sports, 
  • Delhi- SG Sports and Entertainment (team name: Delhi SG Pipers)
  • Odisha- Vedanta Limited (team name: Kalinga Lancers)
  • Hyderabad- Resolute Sports (team name: Hyderabad Toofans)
  • Ranchi- Navoyam Sports Ventures Private Limited.

The women team owners are:

  • Haryana-JSW Sports (team name: Delhi SG Pipers)
  • West Bengal- Shrachi Sports,
  • Delhi- SG Sports and Entertainment and 
  • Odisha-  Navoyam Sports Ventures Private Limited.

Each franchise will build a 24-player (men and women each) squad. Each team will have a mix of 16 Indian players, a mandatory inclusion of four junior players, and a maximum of eight international players.

To make the pre-tournament phases more scintillating, the auction procedure has been added to it. Three categories have been induced according to the ranks of each player: Rs 2 lakh (for juniors), Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 10 lakh.

The auction will take place between Oct 13 and 15.

However, the tournament will be restricted to venues only. Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. Ranchi will host all the women's matches while the men's matches will take place in Rourkela.

venues and franchises-sportzpoint.com
Photo credit: TOI

The main reason behind limiting it to two stadiums is finance and the craze. 

Finance

According to the Times of India, a huge sum of Rs 3,640 crore will be invested for Hockey Indian League purposes for the coming 10 years. HI  will chip in some 112 crore each year, mainly on HL's title sponsor and media rights.

A few sources informed that HI has promised to contribute a total of Rs. 1,120 crore for the coming ten years for the swift perpetration of the revamp.

The franchises will lay out around Rs 18 crores on each of the total 14 teams (men and women), each year, which translates into Rs 252 crore for 14 teams.

Thus, for 10 years, franchises will be shelling out Rs 2,520 crore largely on players and coaching support staff’s salaries. The expenditure also includes grants for grassroot development of the sport through their hockey academies.

Thus, considering HI’s contribution of Rs 1,120 crore and franchises’ spending of Rs 2,520 crore, HIL will boast of a total investment purse of Rs 3,640 crore.

Earlier, HO: wasn't limited to just two venues. But HI president Dilip Tirkey clarified that it has been done to reduce the travel and reservation cost of home and away matches. Additionally, the venues have been chosen keeping in mind the popularity of hockey in that place.

The inaugural women's event

From 2013 to 2017, the women's version of the Hockey Premier League wasn't available. For the first time, female hockey players in India will have a dedicated platform to showcase their skills on a large scale. 

The women's team has been an absolute spectacle in the Tokyo Olympics. Savita Punia was no short in fame when compared to PR Sreejesh in terms of skill. The windy Vandana Kataria, hopefully, won't be a name to those fans, but in all households.

It's not about promoting gender equality in a sport when a section of it is yet to rise its head in India. It's more about breaking taboos about women wearing skirts, like what Rani Rampal faced in her childhood. It is more about providing a well-structured hockey stick to the budding players instead of a mere bamboo stick!

Drawbacks that got corrected

The 2013–2017 version of the Hockey Indian League had its financial drawbacks. But other than that, it had clashes of schedule,

A league that could have been as big as a festival, to the fans, couldn't manage to get an uninterrupted vacant place in the FIH calendar. The Hockey Pro League came into being, which ate up whatever space was remaining.

However, this year, President Tirkey and Secretary Bhola Nath Singh have assured that such disruptions won't happen from now on. Both have revealed that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has granted the window from December 28 to February 5 for the next 10 years.

HIL winners till 2017

2013- Ranchi Rhinos

2014- Delhi Waveriders

2015- Ranchi Rays

2016- Punjab Warriors

2017: Kalinga Lancers

Game recognizes Game

Sreejesh named Director of Hockey in Delhi franchise for upcoming HIL- PTI-sportzpoint.com
Sreejesh named Director of Hockey in Delhi franchise for upcoming HIL-PTI

Athletes investing in franchises is not new. So does hockey. Mahesh Bhupathi, the Indian tennis legend, has invested in the Delhi SG Pipers franchise

Adding further excitement, former Indian hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who was freshly appointed as the coach for the junior hockey team, is now the mentor for the Delhi franchise. 

Hockey Indian League: Opening new doors to talent

Say, for example, the Indian Premier League! It is a cash-rich league because of the unwavering fan support, definitely due to the monetization of the league. 

But it has more efficacy due to its role in nurturing young talents. HIL is nothing short of that. The international players will not be just teammates but leaders and seniors whom the rookies will look up to.

This will increase the pace of the game, adding more skills and perfection to the drags and flicks. 

An Indian fan probably won't be expecting some foul on the body to get a penalty corner so that some Amit Rohidas or Harmanpreet Singh convert it into a goal. A basic wish to see a ball in play before hitting the net, just as Australians do, will be fulfilled hopefully.

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