Stage set for historic return of Hockey India League

Delhi  will face Gonasika in the season opener on Saturday

Khel Today Bureau

Rourkela: The highly anticipated return of the Hero Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 is set to become a reality with a clash between Delhi SG Pipers and Gonasika tomorrow, promising a spectacular showcase of world-class hockey and fierce competition. The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela will host the eight men’s teams till the Final on 1 February while, four Women’s teams will compete against each other from 12 January to 26 January, in Ranchi.

The men’s HIL will kick off in Rourkela, with Phase 1 spanning from 28 December to 18 January, where all eight teams will play against each other once. Phase 2, beginning on 19 January, will see the teams divided into two pools: Pool A (Delhi SG Pipers, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, Soorma Hockey Club, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers) and Pool B (Gonasika, Hyderabad Toofans, Tamil Nadu Dragons, UP Rudras). Each team will face others in their respective pool, with the top four teams advancing to the Semi Final on 31 January.

“All our players excited to play against Gonasika and are looking forward to beginning the league. We have prepared well for the last two weeks and we have had a few bonding sessions as a team as well in this period. There is a bit of pressure that comes with it but all the players in our squad are well trained and aware of the demands at this level, so we will play the match with the aim to do our best. We have to execute the strategy set by our coaches and take it game by game. Every match is important and the but it is also important to take the first step in the right direction tomorrow,” Delhi SG Pipers Captain Shamsher Singh commented.

Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, Delhi SG Pipers, Soorma Hockey Club and Odisha Warriors are the four teams in the Women’s HIL. Their matches will commence on 12 January at Ranchi’s Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium, with each team playing against the others twice. After a competitive pool stage, the top two teams will meet in the Final on 26 January. Both men’s and women’s teams will also play one of their matches at the alternate venue to bring the HIL excitement to fans in both locations.

“HIL is returning after seven years and everyone in the team is excited for the match against Delhi. We have a good understanding amongst each other in the team and a good mixture of youngsters, Indian seniors and foreigners. We will look to implement the things that we have trained on so far in the match tomorrow. We have also played with and against these players before, so we will look to play our game and do our best to minimise their goalscoring opportunities,” Gonasika Captain Manpreet Singh shared.

The matches will be broadcast on multiple channels and in multiple languages. The lineup includes the Doordarshan network, including DD Sports, as well as Sony Sports Network – Sony Ten 1, 3, and 4. For digital audiences, the matches will be available to stream on Sony LIV and Waves, the new OTT platform by Prasar Bharati.