World Series Hockey to have $3 million bonanza pool

MUMBAI: The national game might be in a state of mess, but the players, it seems, are in for a bonanza. As first reported by TOI last week, Indian hockey could soon have a world league of its own on the lines of NBA. The first edition is set to be launched sometime in late 2011.

The ‘World Series Hockey’ league will be an annual event and is being promoted by Nimbus Sports in association with the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). The first edition will see the participation of 10 teams on a city-based franchise model — they will play each other on home and away basis with the league culminating in a multi-header playoff. The 10-week long league will be broadcast live, both in India and across the world.

There’s the flip side, though. The IHF is not recognised by the FIH, the game’s world governing body, which still deems the derecognized Hockey India as the game’s ‘official’ body in the country. The apex court is looking into the matter and the fate of the league could well depend on the court’s verdict.

Nimbus chairman, Harish Thawani, is not worried about the status of IHF at the moment. “We are not into the politics part of it. Our only aim is to give hockey the stature a national game deserves. This initiative is meant for the players and hockey fans. A top player stands to earn up to Rs 50 lakh a year, while the fan would get to witness quality hockey in world-class stadiums. Why should anyone have any problem with it?” Thawani asks.

When told of HI secretary-general Narinder Batra’s statement that the players who play the league will not be considered for national selection, Thawani shot back: “Who is he to stop the players from plying their trade? If Batra indeed intends to do that, I shall meet him in court.”

Even the players don’t seem worried.

“We don’t think there should be a problem. After all, we are not doing anything illegal. I am confident that if we are good enough, no one can stop us from playing for the country. That always was and always will be our first priority,” said ace defender Sardar Singh, who has already signed for the league.

Thawani added that four franchises have already been finalised and that there was a lot of interest from several other interested parties. “We have already shortlisted 18 venues, which will be pruned down to 10 very soon.”