Hockey India League Faces Team Exits and Foreign Player Drought
· Sports · Sportstar, Times of India
Hockey India's revived Hockey India League is struggling to hold together its third edition barely two years after a high-profile relaunch. Multiple sources confirmed to Sportstar that more than one franchise is on the verge of exiting, with women's competition also under doubt as foreign player interest has dropped sharply. Shrachi Tigers, which owns both the Bengal men's and women's teams, is hunting for investors to offload and exit, while Ranchi Royals has already been terminated over non-payment issues after flagging Rs. 10 crore in unpaid sponsorship from the Jharkhand government. The men's field, which had eight teams in the first two editions, could shrink to five or six, while only JSW Sports and APL Apollo have verbally agreed to keep their women's teams going. The troubles come as the Indian hockey teams returned from the FIH Hockey World Cup with disappointing results.
Why it matters
Hockey India and franchise owners are scrambling to keep the league alive for players and fans, with the women's competition hanging by a thread and India's flagship domestic hockey tournament at risk of becoming unsustainable.
Read the original report — Sportstar
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