Hockey India League

Hockey India League

The logo of Hockey India League
Countries India
Administrator Hockey India
Headquarter New Delhi, India
Founded 2013
Tournament Format Triple round-robin and knock-out
First tournament 2013
Last tournament 2016
Next tournament 2017
Number of teams 6
Current champion Punjab Warriors
Most successful Ranchi Rays/Ranchi Rhinos (2 titles)
Most goals Ashley Jackson (36)
TV partner(s) STAR Sports
Website Official website
2016 Hockey India League

Hockey India League (HIL), known as the Coal India Hockey India League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional field hockey league in India. The league is organized by Hockey India, the governing body for the sport in India.[1] HIL, along with the Indian Premier League, Indian Super League, and Pro Kabaddi League, is considered one of the major sports leagues in the country.[2] HIL consists of six teams, with the regular season lasting two months from January to February, with each team playing 10 games.[3] The top four teams at the end of the season move into the play-offs, where the championship game decides the Hockey India League winner.[4]

Hockey India League was founded in 2013 as part of Hockey India's attempt to get an International Hockey Federation sanctioned league after the un-sanctioned and non-Hockey India tournament, World Series Hockey, began in 2012.[5] The first season took place in 2013 with five teams.[6] Since beginning, the league has proven to be a financial success for Hockey India, who were in financial disarray before the league began. In 2015, it was reported that the federation earned a profit from the league and television revenues.[7]

The most recent champion of the Hockey India League are the Ranchi Rays, who won the tournament in 2015. Ranchi Rhinos and Delhi Waveriders have also won the league.[8]

History

In 2012, the Indian Hockey Federation and Nimbus began World Series Hockey, a professional field hockey league in India.[9] After the success of the league, Hockey India announced the formation of their own franchise-based league, launched in mid-2012, known as the Hockey India League.[10] Inspired by the cricket league, Indian Premier League, the league was approved by the International Hockey Federation, something World Series Hockey lacked.[10] The league was originally planned to have six teams, which would be established after the bidding was done for the twelve proposed cities that would host an HIL team.[11] However, due to lack of interest in a sixth city, the league commenced in 2013 with five teams: Delhi Waveriders, Mumbai Magicians, Punjab Warriors, Ranchi Rhinos, and Uttar Pradesh Wizards.[12] Before the beginning of the season, ESPN STAR Sports was announced as the league's official broadcasting partner on a five-year deal.[13]

The first match was played on 14 January 2013, as Delhi Waveriders defeated the Punjab Warriors 2–1 at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium.[14] The league had gained some buzz from the marquee signings of India internationals Sardara Singh and Sandeep Singh, as well as the signings of foreign players such as Jamie Dwyer, Moritz Fürste, and Teun de Nooijer.[15] The inaugural season ended with Ranchi Rhinos being the first champions, defeating the Delhi Waveriders 2–1 in the final.[16] The league was considered a success immediately in the years following the inaugural season.[17]

Before the beginning of the second season, the Kalinga Lancers were announced as the sixth team in the Hockey India League.[18] However, after the 2014 season, the league suffered its first setback when the Mumbai Magicians disbanded.[19] The team was swiftly replaced though with Dabang Mumbai being launched before the 2015 season.[20] The league though suffered another setback before the 2015 season when Ranchi Rhinos, the inaugural champions, were disbanded after an ownership problem. The team though, like with Mumbai, was quickly replaced with Ranchi Rays.[21]

Teams

League championships

Season Champion Score (Report) Runners-up Stadium # of Teams
2013 Ranchi Rhinos 2–1(Report) Delhi Waveriders Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium 5
2014 Delhi Waveriders 3–3 (3-1 Pen.) (Report) Punjab Warriors Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium 6
2015 Ranchi Rays 2–2 (3–2 Pen.) (Report) Punjab Warriors Dhyan Chand National Stadium 6
2016 Jaypee Punjab Warriors 6–1 . (Report) Kalinga Lancers Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium 6

Board

Before the league's first season, Hockey India appointed Steve Catton as competitions director.[22] Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, and media personality Rajat Sharma are the members of the board for the Hockey India League.[23] Along with Steve Catton, Barry Anderson was appointed as the tournament director.[24]

Hockey India appointed Todd Faulds as its competitions director for the second edition of the Hockey India League.[25][26] Todd worked as a competitions manager for the FIH 2012 Men's Champions Trophy in Melbourne and 2012 International Super Series in Perth.

Bjorn Isberg has been the Hockey India League tournament director since 2014. Isberg had served as tournament director for the 2012 London Olympics field hockey tournament, and three Champions Trophy tournaments (in 2004, 2007, and 2011).[27]


See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hockey India League 2016: Let the Games begin!". Asia Hockey. 18 January 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "ISL offers Rs 15 crore in prize money". Times of India. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Hockey India League: Mumbai beat Uttar Pradesh to keep semifinal hopes alive". IBN Live. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Hockey India League 2016: Everything you want to know". IBN Live. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE TO BE HELD FROM JANUARY 1, 2013". DNA India. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  6. ↑ Sahota, Baldev (13 January 2013). "Hero Hockey India League 2013". DESI Blitz. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  7. ↑ Dutt, Tushar (16 April 2015). "Hockey India rings in the riches". Times of India. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Ranchi Rays claim HIL title". Hockey. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  9. ↑ Pande, Bhanu (12 March 2012). "IPL impact: 5 new sports leagues come up in 18 months, non-cricket sports have no dearth of sponsors". Economic Times. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  10. 1 2 Bhaduri, Tushar (1 June 2012). "Hockey India to launch it's very own league next January". Daily Mail. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "Hockey India announces plans for new league". International Hockey Federation. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  12. ↑ Sahni, Jaspreet (12 December 2012). "Hockey India League Auction: the final squads list". IBN Live. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  13. ↑ Nag, Ashoke (31 July 2012). "Hockey India enters into broadcast deal with ESPN-STAR". Economic Times. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  14. ↑ Sahni, Jaspreet (14 January 2013). "Punjab suffer from own goals against Delhi". IBN Live. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  15. ↑ "Hockey India League names three Indians among six 'Marquee Players'". NDTV Sports. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "Ranchi Rhinos 2-1 Delhi Waveriders" (PDF). Hockey India.
  17. ↑ "Hockey India League: The new face of hockey". The Roar. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "Kalinga Lancers latest to join Hockey India league". India TV News. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  19. ↑ Vasavda, Mihir (4 September 2014). "Mumbai Magicians pull out of HIL; two new teams may be drafted in". Indian Express. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  20. ↑ "DoIT Sports Management Takes To Hockey India League 2015 With 'Dabang Mumbai'". Hockey India. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  21. ↑ "MS Dhoni becomes co-owner of Ranchi hockey franchisee". Indian Express. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "Steve Catton appointed Hockey India League director". New Delhi: IBN Live. Oct 25, 2012. Retrieved Oct 12, 2012.
  23. ↑ "Rajeev Shukla, Arun Jaitley & Rajat Sharma join Hockey India League (HIL) Board" (PDF). New Delhi: Hockey India. Jul 25, 2012. Retrieved Sep 20, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Anderson named Hockey India League tournament director". New Delhi: Sify. Dec 2, 2012. Retrieved Dec 5, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Hero Hockey India League appoints Todd Faulds as its Director Competitions". New Delhi: Hockey India. July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Hockey India League: Todd Faulds appointed as Director Competitions". New Delhi: NDTV. July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Hockey India League appoints Bjorn Isberg as Tournament Director". New Delhi: CNN-IBN. October 24, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
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