Friday, February 7, 2025

Hockey India League all set to spark auction bidding war

The anticipated return of the Hockey India League (HIL) moves a step forward this weekend when the first auction after a seven-year hiatus starts on Sunday in New Delhi.

With over 1,000 players registered for HIL and hoping for a berth in one of eight men’s and six women’s franchises following an expanded dual gender format, it is fair to say that the returning competition has caught the attention of the global stars hoping for a month’s payday stay in India.

The auction will take place between Sunday and Tuesday at New Delhi’s Hyatt Regency, with 400 domestic/150 overseas men’s players, coupled with 250 domestic/70 overseas women internationals vying to be picked up by the new franchises.

How HIL auction works

Players will be divided into three base price categories: INR 2,00,000, INR 5,00,000, and a top billing INR 10,00,000 (£9,000), based on the value they selected for themselves when registering by the July cutoff.

More than 250 players have been pitted in the top category.

Overseas stars include Arthur van Doren, Alexander Hendrickx, Gonzalo Peillat, Jip Janssen, Thierry Brinkman and Dayaan Cassiem.

International women’s players include Delfina Merino, Charlotte Stapenhorst, Maria Granatto, Rachael Lynch and Nike Lorenz.

Nearly 35 British men and women players have also registered for the bidding war.

How the franchises work

A total of 10 franchise owners have come on board for the 14 teams, with some multi-city men/women franchises.

Each team will consist of 24 players, including 16 Indian players (with a mandatory inclusion of four junior players) and eight overseas players.

HIL 2024/25 schedule

HIL will begin on Dec 28 with an opening ceremony in Rourkela, Odisha. Matches will be held across two venues — Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. The women’s league final will be held on Jan 26 in Ranchi, and the men’s final on Feb 1 in Rourkela.

Given that most HIL franchises reported losses as the first incarnation was disbanded in 2017, Hockey India has gone in lean for the rebirth of HIL 2.0. Ranchi and Rourkela is a 3.5 drive and will cut costs. 

It remans to be seen if this decision will help raise the profile, instead of adding a few more locations, such as the Punjab.

The franchise and HIL costs

Hockey India has entered into an agreement with team owners for the next 10 years to stage HIL.

Times of India reported that Rs 3,640 crore will be spent on the league over the next 10 years. It has also been reported that Hockey India could pump in £2.2m each season.

The franchises are expected to fork out £1.6m each season, which includes franchise fee plus player purchase. That equates to a reported £23m spent across the 14 franchises.

What they say

“The focus should be on building a great product that resonates with hockey fans. Monetisation, in any shape or form, should only be considered after you’ve achieved some success in this.”
Yannick Colaco, co-founder of sports streaming platform FanCode told Indian business publication Mint this week.

“The HIL was an unforgettable experience; we were in a high-performance environment for an extended period of time, playing against and alongside some of the best players in the world. This created a learning environment for players by exposing them to different cultures and mindsets. For an impressionable young player, there is nothing more crucial than positive exposure.”
Former player Sardar Singh, who signed for Delhi Waveriders in the first HIL.

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