The Indian women’s hockey team has performed beyond expectations at the ongoing World Cup, but the same players are staring at an uncertain future regarding the women’s Hockey India League (HIL).
Started two years ago, the league has struggled to survive. Owned by entrepreneur Alvish MA, Ranchi Royals replaced them for the second season. However, it has been reliably learned that the Royals have also exited the league, and players and coaches have not received their salaries to date.
The first edition’s winner, Odisha Warriors (owned by Navoyam Sports), pulled out before the second season due to financial challenges.
a Bengaluru-based organisation will be joining in While Hockey India (HI) are in talks with multiple corporate bodies to pick up teams. After one season, Visakhapatnam based Team Gonasika, owned by Odia mining tycoon Tarini Prasad Mohanty, as well as UP Rudras left the league leaving the HIL governing council with immense worry. UP Rudras was replaced by a HIL Governing Council team as the HI was unable to get a buyer in time While Gonasika was replaced by a men’s Ranchi Royals outfit. In the men’s HIL too, Royals have already pulled out, and are likely to be replaced by the new Bengaluru-based team. There is talk that Tamil Nadu Dragons will have new owners while a couple of other teams are contemplating their existence in the league.
“But that said, the league cannot take place with only 2 or 3 teams right,” a team owner told HT. “There is a real possibility that there could be only six teams instead of eight,” a team official told HT. “Say the cost of running the league is ₹ 30 crore and the sponsors cover ₹ 20 crore out of that, then the rest of the ₹ 10 crore will have to be shared by all the teams, which is way less than the franchise fee,” a team CEO said on condition of anonymity. an HI official told HT that they are on the verge of concluding a deal with Zee as a broadcast partner for the upcoming season While the league was broadcast on Doordarshan last year.
