Barely two years after its high-profile relaunch, the third edition of the Hockey India League faces severe turmoil amid franchise exits, non-payment disputes, and declining foreign player interest.
NEW DELHI — The third edition of the revived Hockey India League (HIL) is on shaky ground, battling for survival on multiple fronts following disappointing performances by Indian teams at the World Cup. Barely two years after its relaunch, the league is facing potential team exits, question marks over team counts, and significant hesitancy from foreign players to participate.
Financial issues and ownership uncertainty have plagued the league across both men's and women's competitions. Shrachi Tigers, owners of the Bengal franchise in both divisions, are actively seeking investors to offload and exit after clearing their 2025 season dues only in late June. Meanwhile, the Ranchi Royals franchise was terminated over non-payment issues after writing to the HIL Governing Council regarding unreceived ₹10 crore sponsorship funds from the Jharkhand government. Ranchi's original women's team was previously accused of non-payment by foreign players, prompting Hockey India to clear dues using the franchise's revenue share.
The men's competition is set to downsize from eight teams to five or six, with prospective changes in team ownership and franchise cities. In the four-team women's competition, JSW Sports and APL Apollo (owners of Delhi SG Pipers) have verbally agreed to stay after contemplating an exit, while talks for a Bangalore-based franchise are reportedly in the final stages.
Payment uncertainties have also severely hit foreign player engagement, forcing Hockey India to extend its initial registration deadline from July 24 to August 31. In an effort to salvage the league, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey canceled his own travel to the World Cup to hold crucial meetings with prospective sponsors, Tata Group representatives, and key owners like Parth Jindal (JSW) and Sanjay Gupta (APL Apollo). Additionally, Tirkey denied travel permission to HIL Governing Committee convenor and HI Director General Cdr. RK Srivastava, a directive that was ultimately disregarded.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Hockey. Photo courtesy The Hindu Hockey.