Cap divides owners

By Devadyuti Das

NEW DELHI: The inaugural player auction for the Hockey India League (HIL) was a day to remember for the sport of hockey. For hockey lovers, it was all good tiding as big money flowed during the auction, a first for the game which needs a boost, especially in India.

In fact, some franchise owners felt they could have done with some more money in their pockets, saying the salary cap of Rs 3.5 crore imposed had tied their hands. The organisers of the league must be delighted that owners are willing to shell out much more on quality players.

Jaypee Group chairman Manoj Gaur, the owner of Punjab Warriors, felt the salary cap was too small and ‘impractical’. “The purse for the owners should be increased. The current cap restricts our ability to put together a quality team,” Gaur said, addressing his concerns to HIL chairman Narinder Batra.

However, Batra said. “At this stage during the auction, this request cannot be considered. For a change in salary purse to take place at this stage all the teams have to agree to it.” Sahara, too, did not agree to Jaypee’s proposal.

“We would have certainly liked a bigger purse heading into the auction. But all this should have been agreed upon prior to the auction,” Sahara spokesperson Abhijit Sarkar told TOI on Sunday.