Hockey India League postponed due to absence of coaches

28 November, 2012

The dates for the auction and the start of the Hockey Indian League have been changed due to the absence of franchise coaches during the scheduled auction on December 1, which has now been changed to December 16. The competition will now start from January 17.

The Hockey India League (HIL), which has been one of the most awaited events in the hockey calendar has been postponed to January 17, after it was declared that the league would start from January 5, adding to the dismay of Indian fans.

The competition is scheduled to conclude on February 17. This does not augur well for Indian hockey, as such kind of leagues have actually been scheduled to revive hockey in India, which has been gradually declining.

The auctions for the HIL were originally scheduled for December 1, which has been changed to December 16 now. It has been stated that the entire dates for the tournament had to be changed, as franchises taking part in the competition expressed their concern that the coaches would not be available for the auction, so the organisers felt that it was better for the league to be postponed. Some of these coaches would be present in the upcoming FIH Champions Trophy at Melbourne.

The League also draws inspiration from the Indian Premier League, which has been a huge success. So, it would have been interesting if the organisers of the IPL would take such decision to postpone the tournament due to the unavailability of coaches during auctions. The IPL board has been very professional and hence their success is for everyone to see both on and off the field as well.

But, one also has to understand that the league has not even started, so they would have to listen to the respective franchises and keep them smiling, as they are the ones who will help generate huge amount of money for the league as well. The auction of players and later on the championship is going to be fought between six Indian franchises.