HIL suspended, survival in doubt
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Hockey India League, the only franchise-based domestic hockey league in the world, will not be held in 2018. Whether the league featuring six teams will return in a new avatar in 2019, as promised by its organisers Hockey India, depends on two major factors — a revamped financial model that would be attractive and beneficial for all stakeholders and the FIH’s Hockey Pro League, which is scheduled to be launched in January 2019.
In a statement, the sport’s national governing body claimed a busy international calendar in 2018 was the main reason for suspending the league but the actual reason was that the franchises were bleeding money and were reluctant to continue is the present format.
According to sources, at least three franchises have complained of suffering huge losses annually and wanted to pull out.
Owners of Delhi Waveriders, Jaypee Punjab Warriors and Ranchi Rays have expressed their inability to continue and Hockey India’s attempts to rope in replacements did not bear fruit.
“Due to a conflict in dates of the 2018 League and major international tournaments, which was likely to restrict the participation of international players, it was decided that the best solution was to postpone the conduct of the sixth season of the League. The league will resume in 2019 with greater prospects to make it more viable financially not only for the stakeholders but also for the players,” Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, HI secretary general and chairman of the HIL, said in the release on Tuesday.
HI, however, denied financial constraint was the reason for the calling off the league. “None of the franchises have expressed their desire to back out due to funds. The decision was made after consultations with all stakeholders. The league has been very successful in terms of scouting talent and we will continue to organise in 2019 season,” RP Singh, spokesperson of HI, told HT.
Franchises owner though were reluctant to share the business model, but most said, it wasn’t productive from the start. “We were suffering huge financial losses, to the tune of ~10 crore each year. In times of economic meltdown it wasn’t practical to continue,” said an official of a franchise on condition of anonymity.
The current development puts a question mark on the viability of a domestic league for hockey as the Premier Hockey League, the earlier official domestic league, too was shut down because of financial problems.
The league will resume in 2019 with greater prospects to make it more viable financially for stakeholders and players MD MUSHTAQUE, HI secy general