HIL should help raise the game’

MS Unnikrishnan

New Delhi, January 1
Indian hockey team captain Sardar Singh said the Hockey India League (HIL), to be held from January 14 to February 10, will be a great initiative to give the game a shot in the arm.

Sardar Singh, who was bought by Delhi franchise Delhi Waveriders for a record $78,000 from a base price of $27,000, said the five-team franchise-owned HIL was a timely step to popularise the game after the team’s deplorable performance in the London Olympics, where they had finished last.

“The Premier Hockey League, started in 2006, was a good platform for the young talent to come up and show their mettle, and most of the present Indian players had come up through that league,” Sardar Singh told The Tribune in an exclusive chat. “The HIL too will give the young players a forum to display their talent and make it big. It will be a great opportunity for them to play against and alongside some of the best players in the world.”

He said the HIL will not only offer the players big money, but they will also stand to gain by playing top class hockey against the best in the business, which they could not have got otherwise.

The ace defender, who was in the running for the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Player of the Year award, said though the team could not rise up to expectations in the London Olympics, the new team, composed of many talented youngsters, did well in the Champions Trophy in Australia and the Asian Champions Trophy in Doha recently to hold up hope for a bright future for the team.

“We beat some of the best teams like England and Belgium in the Champions Trophy to finish fourth and we did well in the Asian tourney as well, to finish second. All these results augur well for Indian hockey,” he noted.

Sardar, who was one of the five marquee players for the HIL auction, and commanded a high premium, expected the present Indian team to shape up well by 2014 when some of the major events like the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, will be held.

The Indian captain said the 28-day, 34-match HIL, featuring 120 leading players, was sure to generate much interest as the matches will be held at venues where the passion for the game was very high —Delhi, Jalandhar, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ranchi. Though the HIL has been patterned on the model of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 Tournament, the total money offered — 17.5 crore — was not even a fraction of the money wagered on a couple of players in the IPL auction last year.

But, to start with, a cap of Rs 3.5 core per team, was something unheard of in Indian hockey as franchisees Delhi Waveriders, Jaypee Punjab Warriors, Uttar Pradesh Wizards, Mumbai Magicians and Ranchi Rhinos vied with each other to net the best available talent among the Indian and foreign players.

The HIL has, meanwhile, roped in the Punjab-based auto major, Hero Moto Corp, as the title sponsors. Hero MotoCorp MD Pawan Munjal said the initiative taken by the Hockey India to start this league will go a long way in developing the game and bring back its old glory.

Hero was also the title sponsors of the Olympic Qualifiers held in February last year when India won the event to qualify for the London Olympics.

“Hockey holds a special place in our hearts as we had also sponsored the World Cup in 2010,” added Munjal. Hockey India secretary-general Narinder Batra said the Hero group coming on board to sponsor the HIL will result in a long and joyful journey for Indian hockey.