Dilip Tirkey, the newly elected president of Hockey India, is eager to bring back the Hockey India League, this time with a women’s division as well. HI is attempting to find a potential window in the global calendar for the same.
“Hockey India League is very important for Indian hockey. It is also very important for our young players because it will give them a good platform for gaining more exposure. We have asked FIH for a window in the international calendar,” Tirkey said in an exclusive interview with ESPN in Bhubaneswar, on the sidelines of FIH Pro League games.
Dilip Tirkey’s remarks
“We want to conduct it according to a league structure even if we believe we may have to do it over the course of five or six weeks. Whether or not we receive specific dates from FIH will rely on that. Accordingly, we’ll make plans “Added Tirkey
In contrast to the last HIL, women’s teams will participate in this year’s competition, and Turkey hopes that matches for the women’s teams will occur concurrently with those for the men’s teams.
“Women’s hockey is what we’re concentrating on. Concurrently, we aim to conduct women’s HIL. We’ll make every effort to resolve the issue “said Tirkey. “In the past few years, women’s hockey has advanced significantly. First time in Olympic history, they advanced to the semifinals. Furthermore, we intend to provide them with specialized training programs.”
Thierry Weil, CEO of the FIH, earlier acknowledged that Hockey India had contacted the organization and that both parties were attempting to find dates in a jam-packed international schedule.
During a news conference with journalists, Weil stated, “They asked to look at the world calendar to ensure that when they arrange their league, it is not conflicting with other key events.” I have no doubt that Hockey India and I will speak soon to determine when the HIL should take place.
Indian national teams were having a difficult time because they had fallen far behind on the international level when HIL entered the picture in 2013. The men’s team, which had eight gold medals at the Olympics between 1928 and 1980, missed qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Games and came in last at the 2012 London Games.
One of the main factors for the revival of Indian hockey was HIL, which continued till 2017. The players gained a lot from the experience, raising their levels of fitness and tactical understanding.
The league’s success was also significantly influenced by the participation of foreign players and coaches. The outcome was evident at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where the men’s team took home a bronze medal while the women advanced to the semifinals after defeating Australia.
However, Hockey India and Tirkey will still have to deal with problems including budgetary restrictions and a full international schedule, which were the causes of the HIL’s discontinuation following the 2017 edition.
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