The highly anticipated Hockey India League (HIL) is set for a spectacular return in 2024, featuring both men’s and women’s tournaments for the first time. With the world’s best hockey players finding their homes within the league via the recent auctions, the event promises to elevate the sport’s profile in India and around the world.
The Hockey India League was originally launched in 2013 as a professional league aimed at popularizing hockey in India and providing a platform for domestic players to compete alongside international stars. Over its initial five seasons, the HIL gained attention for featuring top talents like Sardar Singh and international icons such as Australia’s Jamie Dwyer. The league was instrumental in revitalizing hockey’s fanbase in India and sharpening the skills of local players.
However, after 2017, the league was paused due to financial challenges and scheduling issues. Despite the hiatus, HIL left a lasting impact on the hockey ecosystem, with many players crediting the league for shaping their careers.
The revival of HIL in 2024 marks an exciting chapter, especially with the introduction of a women’s competition for the first time. This move aligns with hockey and India’s growing focus on gender equality in sports and recognition of women's hockey on the global stage. With 8 men’s teams and 4 women’s teams (2 more women’s teams confirmed from 2025-26 season) the league’s relaunch promises enhanced global participation, bigger budgets, and an expanded fan base, bringing hockey back to the forefront of Indian sports.
The new season of the league will be held from 28 December 2024 to 1 February 2025. The eight teams for the men's tournament and four teams for the women's tournament are placed in a group to play round-robin matches. The top four teams qualify for the knockout stages.
The league matches will be played at two venues: Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. Each match will result in a winner, with shootouts being introduced for tied games to ensure every encounter concludes decisively. The women’s league final is scheduled for January 26 in Ranchi and the men’s final will be played on February 1 in Rourkela.
Below are some of the notable additions made by the teams in the HIL Auctions that took place from 13-15 October:
Men’s
Delhi SG Pipers
Head Coach: Graham Reid (AUS)
Overseas: Christopher Ruhr, Tomas Domene, Tomas Santiago, Jorrit Croon
Indian: Shamsher Singh, Raj Kumar Pal. Jarmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar
Hyderabad Toofans
Head Coach: Pasha Gademan (NED)
Overseas: Gonzalo Peillat, Arthur de Sloover, Zach Wallace, Jean-Paul Danneberg
Indian: Sumit, Nilakanta Sharma, Shilanand Lakra, Rajinder
Vedanta Kalinga Lancers
Head Coach: Mark Hager (AUS)
Overseas: Thierry Brinkman, Arthur van Doren, Alexander Hendrickx, Aran Zalewski
Indian: Krishan Pathak, Sanjay, Dilpreet Singh, Rabichandra Moirangthem
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers
Head Coach: Colin Batch (AUS)
Overseas: Pirmin Blaak, Florent van Aubel, Sam Lane, Lachlan Sharp
Indian: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh
Soorma Hockey Club
Coach: Jeroen Baart (BEL)
Overseas: Jeremy Hayward, Victor Wegnez, Vincent Vanasch, Dayaan Cassiem
Indian: Harmanpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Gurjant Singh, Maninder Singh
Tamil Nadu Dragons
Head Coach: Rein van Eijk (NED)
Overseas: Jip Janssen, Blake Govers, Duco Telgenkamp, David Harte
Indian: Amit Rohidas, Mohammed Raheel, Selvam Karthi, Uttam Singh
Team Gonasika
Overseas: Tom Boon, Jeroen Hertzberger, Ollie Payne, Tim Howard
Indian: Manpreet Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Mandeep Singh, Suraj Karkera
UP Rudras
Coach: Paul van Ass (NED)
Overseas: Lars Balk, Kane Russell, James Mazarelo, Alvaro Iglesias
Indian: Hardik Singh, Lalit Upadhyaya, Akashdeep Singh, Surender Kumar
Women’s
Delhi SG Pipers
Coach: Dave Smolenaars (NED)
Overseas: Xan de Waard, Giselle Ansley, Emma Purvez, Elodie Picard
Indian: Navneet Kaur, Sunelita Toppo, Sangita Kumari, Deepika
Odisha Warriors
Coach: Janneke Schopman (NED)
Overseas: Yibbi Jansen, Freeke Moes, Jocelyn Bartram, Claire Colwill
Indian: Deep Grace Ekka, Neha Goyal, Ishika Chaudhary, Baljeet Kaur
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers
Coach: Glenn Turner (AUS)
Overseas: Eva de Goede, Ambre Ballenghien, Katie Mullan, Sarah Hawkshaw
Indian: Lalremsiami, Udita, Vandana Katariya, Beauty Dungdung
Soorma Hockey Club
Coach: Jude Menezes (IND)
Overseas: Nike Lorenz, Maria Verschoor, Charlotte Englebert, Charlotte Stapenhorst
Indian: Savita Punia, Salima Tete, Sharmila Devi, Jyoti
The complete list of players acquired by the teams during the auctions can be found here.
