After a successful inaugural edition, the Hero Hockey India league (HIl) is here again and it's set to roll out plenty of drama, entertainment and 34 breath-taking matches at break-neck speed, involving 144 players over the next 30 days, starting from Saturday. And, the fireworks start early as Sardar Singh-led Delhi Waveriders and five-time player of the year Jamie Dwyer-captained Jaypee Punjab face each other in the first game at Mohali.
last year a long list of hockey players went under the hammer with everyone getting a sumptuous price to be part of five different teams in the sport's new incarnation, HIl. It was seen as a tournament on the lines of the much-vaunted Indian Premier league and the event marked a new beginning for hockey. Among five teams, Ranchi Rhinos emerged the champions, pipping Delhi Waveriders in the final to take away Rs 2.50 crores.
Apart from the action, the league has come as a boon for Indian hockey due to varied reasons. First, as the league rules state that, not more than 10 overseas players are allowed in a 24-member squad while in the playing 11, a team can't have more than five foreign players. It means most players would be from India and they would also get the exposure of playing with the best., like VR Raghunath playing alongside four-time Olympian Teun de Nooijer for the Wizards. Then there are Dwyer, Floris Evers, Moritz Fuerste, Jaap Stockmaan and the likes.
Second, it gives financial security to the players with Sardar earning as much as Rs 42.49 lakh last year. Then, for a player, there can't be a bigger stage than this to show his mettle, with scores of supporters watching and the games being telecast live in more than 180 countries.
The league turned out to be a supply line for the national team. Mandeep Singh, who scored a hat-trick in the recent win over Olympics champions Germany during the Hockey World league Final, has been a proud product of HIl. Similarly, Rupinderpal Singh, Manpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Malak Singh and Amit Rohitdas have become better after spending quality time with the foreign recruits. “We will get to see the players much early because of HIl and this will help India develop its game,” India's former coach Michael Nobbs had said.
From the participation of crème de la crème of world hockey to elite coaches and top physiologists, the 28-day event was a big success and for the lovers of the national game, it’s good news again.
While the youngsters would like to impress the selectors with their show, it is also a stage for few old war-horses like Rajpal Singh, Sandeep Singh, Shivendra Singh, Prabodh Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Prabhjot Singh, Tushar Khandekar and Gurbaj Singh.
However, this time the league will be much bigger and better. Kalinga lancers from Bhubaneswar have been added as the sixth team this year, which means that the competition level goes up. Among other major changes, 2013's edition's highest goal scorer, Sandeep Singh, has shifted from Dabur Mumbai Magicians to JPW, who were lacking a specialist drag-flicker. til Fe&rwX9pOm to serve again. He was broke again soon after.
Nadal has struggled with a blister on the palm of his left hand in his last two matches, but he removed the heavy tape that affected his serve in his quarterfinal win over Grigor Dimitrov. A TV camera got a close-up view of the blister when he took a medical timeout after the first game of the second set, drawing gasps and groans from the crowd.
“Too much talk about the blister. The blister is OK,” Nadal said in his on-court interview. “The problem ... is the position of the blister, it’s difficult. “We tried to make the bandage a little bit less, shorter than the other day.”