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
The logo of Hockey India League
CountriesIndia
AdministratorHockey India
HeadquarterNew Delhi, India
Founded2013
Tournament FormatTriple round-robin and knock-out
First tournament2013
Last tournament2017
Number of teams6
Current championKalinga Lancers
Most successful
5 teams
(1 title each)
Most goalsAshley Jackson (36)
TV partner(s)STAR Sports
WebsiteOfficial website

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 is Kalinga Lancers, who won the tournament in 2017. Ranchi Rhinos, Delhi Waveriders, Ranchi Rays and Punjab Warriors 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. Inspired by the cricket league, Indian Premier League, the league was approved by the International Hockey Federation. 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.[10] 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.[11] Before the beginning of the season, ESPN STAR Sports was announced as the league's official broadcasting partner on a five-year deal.[12]

The first match was played on 14 January 2013, as Delhi Waveriders defeated the Punjab Warriors 2–1 at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium.[13] 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.[14] The inaugural season ended with Ranchi Rhinos being the first champions, defeating the Delhi Waveriders 2–1 in the final.[15] The league was considered a success immediately in the years following the inaugural season.[16]

Before the beginning of the second season, the Kalinga Lancers were announced as the sixth team in the Hockey India League.[17] However, after the 2014 season, the league suffered its first setback when the Mumbai Magicians disbanded.[18] The team was swiftly replaced though with Dabang Mumbai being launched before the 2015 season.[19] 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.[20]

Hockey India postponed the event in 2018 for unclear reasons. Later they announced that the next season of Hockey India league will be scheduled in November - December 2019.[21]

Rules

If there is a tie in any match then there would be extra time. Still, if winner is not decided, there would be a shoot-out. If still the winner is not decided there would be no option left other than penalty strokes.

Teams
Locations of HIL teams
Team City Stadium Joined Head coach
Dabang Mumbai Mumbai, Maharashtra Mahindra Hockey Stadium 2015 Jay Stacy
Delhi Waveriders Delhi Shivaji Hockey Stadium 2013 Cedric D'Souza
Kalinga Lancers Bhubaneswar, Odisha Kalinga Stadium 2014 Mark Hager
Punjab Warriors Chandigarh Sector 42 Stadium 2013 Barry Dancer
Ranchi Rays Ranchi, Jharkhand Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium 2015 Harendra Singh
Uttar Pradesh Wizards Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Dhyan Chand Astroturf Stadium 2013 Roger Van Gent
Defunct teams
Team City Stadium Years active
Mumbai Magicians Mumbai, Maharashtra Mahindra Hockey Stadium 2013–2014
Ranchi Rhinos Ranchi, Jharkhand Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium 2013–2014

League championships
Season Winner Final score Runner-up Final venue Number of Teams Player of the tournament
2013Ranchi Rhinos2–1Delhi WaveridersBirsa Munda Hockey Stadium5Sardar Singh
(Delhi Waveriders)
2014Delhi Waveriders3–3
(3–1 pen.)		Punjab WarriorsBirsa Munda Hockey Stadium6
2015Ranchi Rays2–2
(3–2 pen.)		Punjab WarriorsDhyan Chand National Stadium6
2016Punjab Warriors6–1Kalinga LancersBirsa Munda Hockey Stadium6
2017Kalinga Lancers4–1Dabang MumbaiSector 42 Stadium6Florian Fuchs
(Dabang Mumbai)
2019 TBD

Tournament Records
Highest Average goals per match Highest Average saves per shots on target
Glenn Turner P. R. Shreejesh

Sponsorship
Period Sponsor Tournament Name
2013–15 Hero Hero Hockey India League
2017–Present Coal India Coal India Hockey India League

Prize Money

It was announced that the winning and losing team in the final is awarded 3 crores INR and 1.5 crores INR respectively.

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. "Hockey India announces plans for new league". International Hockey Federation. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  11. Sahni, Jaspreet (12 December 2012). "Hockey India League Auction: the final squads list". IBN Live. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  12. Nag, Ashoke (31 July 2012). "Hockey India enters into broadcast deal with ESPN-STAR". Economic Times. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  13. Sahni, Jaspreet (14 January 2013). "Punjab suffer from own goals against Delhi". IBN Live. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  14. "Hockey India League names three Indians among six 'Marquee Players'". NDTV Sports. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  15. "Ranchi Rhinos 2-1 Delhi Waveriders" (PDF). Hockey India.
  16. "Hockey India League: The new face of hockey". The Roar. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  17. "Kalinga Lancers latest to join Hockey India league". India TV News. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  18. Vasavda, Mihir (4 September 2014). "Mumbai Magicians pull out of HIL; two new teams may be drafted in". Indian Express. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  19. "DoIT Sports Management Takes To Hockey India League 2015 With 'Dabang Mumbai'". Hockey India. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  20. "MS Dhoni becomes co-owner of Ranchi hockey franchisee". Indian Express. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  21. http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/hockey/hil-to-make-grand-return-in-nov-dec-2019-hockey-india-ceo-4971307/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  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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