Finance, format key to hockey league’s future
There is a certain kind of romance around hockey. Medals at the last two Olympics have only fortified that aura, not to mention the women’s team’s incredible journey to the fourth place in Tokyo in 2021. Hockey India has tried to cash in on this rising popularity. The federation has been trying to bring in more professionalism and money into the game so that the players benefit. One such move was the revival of the Hockey India League (HIL) after seven years. Though HIL president Dilip Tirkey would have loved to organise it in a home-and-away format, this time it was concentrated around Rourkela for men and Ranchi for women. It culminated in a pulsating men’s final that saw the Bengal Tigers claw past the Hyderabad Toofans 4-3 at the Birsa Munda Stadium on Sunday. Even though things went smoothly, there is scope to transform HIL into a much more sustainable product.
Perhaps the tournament can be more attractive in the home-and-away format, something avoided this time because of logistical issues. For some players, spending all the time at the same venue turned a tad boring; so much so that some even took mini-breaks between matches. Some coaches also pointed out that the gap between matches could have been shorter for each team. HIL also needs to work on its auction, so that foreign players do not skip the tournament as they did this time. The purse, too, can do with an increase.
The financial viability of the league needs to be assessed first. Franchises should be able to recover the money they have spent, or at least have a clear pathway to it. Basically, the returns should be enough to run the team. A little more marketing would help catch more eyeballs. Getting strong financial partners will help sustain the league. The poor quality of refereeing was another talking point during the competition, which is an old sore point. It’s time the HIL introduced an efficient training and evaluation programme for the referees. Senior players have always agreed to one thing—the league helped Indian players grow by allowing them to shed any inhibition for playing against players from the top European players. The HIL has made the essential restart; the challenge now is to sustain it.