New Delhi [India], October 15 : Indian hockey goalkeeping legend PR Sreejesh said that he is "super excited" for the upcoming Hockey India League (HIL) and that it would serve as a fine platform for the junior players as they try making their way into the national senior side.
Sreejesh was speaking on day two of HIL Auction day two for the eight men's franchises.
Speaking to ANI, Sreejesh, the Director and Assistant Coach of Delhi SG Pipers, said to ANI, "I am so excited for the competition. I am on the other side now, taking care of the players. It is a great chance for players to come up, perform and showcase their talent. Big slots are over now (in the auction). Chances are up for junior and domestic level players now. All the teams will pick up juniors as they are preparing for the World Cup next year. This is the right platform for them. It would make selection easier for coaches and selectors. In the capacity I am operating now, I want to check how good they are, how greatly they handle pressure, what is their behavior on and off the field."
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey also said that the auction process has been going great.
"The first day was really great. Harmanpreet got Rs 78 lakh. There was a lot of fight for many players. Today, so many junior players, some from U21, also are getting fine bids. This is really interesting. We are developing our youngsters well. The auction process has been really fine so far," said Tirkey to ANI.
Sardar Singh, the ace Indian hockey star who is now coach of Soorma Hockey Club men's team, said that their team looks balanced and they want to give more chances to youngsters.
"It is important to have a lot of skillful Indian players since they will outnumber the overseas players on the field. Since last eight to seven years, our players' level is on par with foreigners," he added.
The Hockey India League Player Auction 2024/25 for the men's competition was successfully conducted in New Delhi on Sunday and Monday. All eight men's franchises assembled robust squads for the upcoming season, scheduled to take place in Rourkela later this year.
On Day 2 of the auction, overseas players fetched significant bids, with Belgium's Victor Wegnez (sold for Rs 40 lakh to Soorma Hockey Club) becoming the costliest buy. Other top overseas buys included the Dutch Captain Thierry Brinkman (Rs 38 lakh) and Belgium's Arthur Van Doren (Rs 32 lakh), sold to Kalinga Lancers, while Moriangthem Rabichandra (Rs 32 lakh to Kalinga Lancers) and Maninder Singh (Rs 26 lakh to Soorma Hockey Club) were notable Indian buys on Day 2.
Young players with a base price of 2 lakh also made merry at the auction, with Angad Bir Singh going to Kalinga Lancers for Rs 26 lakh and Rajinder to Hyderabad Toofans for Rs 23 lakh.
Earlier, on the opening day, all eight franchises spent heavily to acquire Indian Men's Hockey team core players. Harmanpreet Singh, acquired by Soorma Hockey Club, emerged as the most expensive buy at the men's HIL Player Auction with Rs 78 lakhs. Abhishek became the second-most expensive buy, acquired by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for 72 lakh, while Hardik Singh went to UP Rudras for 70 lakh.
Germany's Gonzalo Peillat became the most expensive overseas player, bought for 68 lakh, along with the Netherlands' Jip Janssen, acquired for 54 lakh by Tamil Nadu Dragons.
The Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 Women's Auction will take place on Tuesday, marking a major milestone in the world of hockey, showcasing the sport's growth and the increasing prominence of women's hockey.
The revamped HIL 2024-25 will feature 8 men's teams and 6 women's teams, marking the first standalone women's league in the country that will run concurrently with the men's competition. In its previous edition back in 2017, Kalinga Lancers had become the champion, beating Dabang Mumbai for the title.
The league will get underway on December 28 with matches played in two venues -- Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. The women's league will conclude on January 26, 2025 in Ranchi, while the men's final is slated for February 1, 2025 in Rourkela.