Hero confirmed as the title sponsor of the ‘Hero Hockey World League Final’, Raipur

27 August 2015: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced Hero as the title sponsor of the 2015 men’s Hockey World League Final.

Taking place in the Indian city of Raipur, Chhattisgarh between 27 November and 6 December 2015, the event will be called the ‘Hero Hockey World League Final’.

Hero (Hero MotoCorp Ltd) is the world’s largest manufacturer of two-wheeled vehicles, based in India. In 2001, the company became the largest two-wheeler manufacturing company in India and also the world’s largest producer of two-wheelers in terms of unit volume sales in a calendar year – a position it continues to maintain to date.

The sponsorship sees Hero continue their ongoing support for the sport of hockey and the FIH. Hero has provided the title sponsorship for numerous FIH flagship events, including the men’s Hero Honda Hockey World Cup 2010, Hero Hockey Junior World Cup 2013 and the inaugural men’s Hero Hockey World League Final 2014, which were all held in New Delhi, India. They were also title sponsor of the men’s Hero Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar, India later in 2014.

Speaking of this agreement, Hero Chairman, Managing Director and CEO, Mr Pawan Munjal, expressed his delight at the partnership. He said: “The ‘Hero Hockey World League Final 2015’ is yet again going to bring world-class hockey to the country. This will give an opportunity for all the top teams including Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium, Argentina, Canada and India to sharpen their skills before they head into the Rio Olympics next year.

“As a keen supporter of our national game, I am also quite happy to see the event being held at Raipur in the state of Chhatisgarh, because this will give a golden opportunity for hockey fans there to see top class action up close for the first time. This move will certainly go a long way in further popularizing the game in the country.”

FIH President Leandro Negre was also pleased to confirm the partnership. He said: “We are delighted to welcome Hero on-board as title sponsor of the Hero Hockey World League Final in Raipur, India. Given the ongoing commitment that Hero has made to hockey both in India and around the world over the years, it is a natural fit for them to partner with FIH for the 2015 men’s Hero Hockey World Hockey League Final being held in India. Hero is a true champion of hockey.”

FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather added: “Hero is one of world’s leading brands, therefore to partner with one of India’s most successful businesses once again is fantastic for our sport. We’ve already seen the effect that Hero’s commitment to hockey has had, especially in India where the national men’s team have already qualified for Rio 2016 as Asian champions while it still remains possible for the women to qualify as well.

“Their support extends much beyond India however as their input continues to fuel the growth of hockey around the world. We look forward to working with Hero in Raipur as we aim to make the Hero Hockey World League Final a truly fantastic event for everyone involved.”

Following the conclusion of the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in July, the field is now set for the Final.

The Hero Hockey World League Final line-up includes eight national men’s hockey teams who qualified through the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in Buenos Aires and Antwerp.

They include Australia, ranked number one in the FIH World Rankings, Netherlands (2), Germany (3), Belgium (4), Great Britain (5), Argentina (6), hosts India (8) and Canada (13).

The event will be held in the 3,000 capacity Raipur International Hockey Stadium which was opened as a dedicated hockey facility in August 2014.