‘WSH will help youngsters’

India striker Prabhjot Singh is looking ahead to the World Series Hockey tournament, scheduled to begin on February 29 next year.

The city-based league event promises cash benefits to players, besides making the sport more spectator-friendly.

Prabhjot, who captained the WSH India XI team during a recent exhibition game against WSH World XI in his hometown Chandigarh, believes the 30-day tournament would “provide a platform to promote hockey”.

“There is a lot of glamour and money involved in the World Series Hockey. If the WSH becomes a success, the craze for the game in India can be on par with that of cricket,” Prabhjot said.
“Top players from all over the world are participating in the WSH. The Indians, especially the youngsters, can learn a lot from the experience.
“The Premier Hockey League was a success and the WSH promises to have even more salient features, besides the monetary incentives.

The winners will get a purse of `4 crore and runners-up `2 crore. The third and fourth position holders will get `1 crore each, which is a lot in hockey,” he added.

Asked if the WSH should organise more exhibition matches since the series had been postponed (from the original December 17 start in New Delhi), Prabhjot said, “Of course, it will send a message across to the fans on what to expect during the tournament.”

The league — since its launch last year — has been bitterly opposed, especially with Hockey India and the world body (FIH) threatening to ban participating players.

Said Prabhjot, “The players should not be pressurised. They are professionals and want to play.
“We should resolve the dispute for the promotion of hockey instead of fighting for posts.
“I plead that the hockey authorities should resolve the infighting and work single-mindedly to promote the game,” added the 30-year old.