LAUSANNE - FIH President Leandro Negre and CEO Kelly Fairweather wrapped up a week-long visit to India. While there, the two met with Hockey India officials to discuss hosting details of the international events scheduled to take place in India in the next four years along with the future of the proposed professional, franchised team league, to be joint sanctioned by FIH and Hockey India.
The FIH and Hockey India have agreed in principle to form a partnership for the formation of the professional league, which will include between six and eight franchised teams and take place in India each year with the first edition in January 2013. The FIH and HI will be launching a process to select a partner with Sports Marketing and Event delivery expertise to assist in this roll out of this project.
The establishment of the professional league, with substantial prize money and incentives for the athletes, is just one of several steps being taken to increase the profile of hockey in India and around the globe. India will also host several other prime FIH events in the upcoming four-year cycle based on the success of the successful World Cup hosting experience last year. The next event that will be held in India is the 2011 FIH Men's Champions Trophy in December.
While in India, Negre and Fairweather also met with Sports Minister, Mr Ajay Maken and, in two separate question and answer sessions, outlined FIHs global strategic plan to a gathering of Indian hockey officials and Olympians, and met a group of top Indian media representatives.
