Hockey India League: A long-awaited return for men and a timely debut for women
The HinduThe murmurs surrounding its return grew louder with the men’s team bagging two successive Olympic bronze medals. READ | Hockey India League announces free tickets for fans in Ranchi, Rourkela Experts and former coaches have often cited India’s lack of club culture as the primary reason behind its decline in hockey at the international stage, but the HIL, despite its short window, helped bridge that gap in its formative years. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR/THE HINDU “Look how good the European league structure is, and when players from around the world go and play there, the respective country’s level also goes up,” says India midfielder Manpreet, who featured for the Ranchi Rhinos franchise between 2013 and 2017. HIL is a platform that gives chances to players who don’t get the opportunity to make it to the national team but have the potential.” HIL 2.0 instils the belief that it will continue to provide the feeder line for both the men’s and women’s teams. “I hope to see the men’s team win the Olympics gold in 2028 and the women’s team in 2032.” Much like Cedric, several Indian men’s and women’s players of the current and upcoming generation harbour similar ambitions.