Hockey India League Returns After Seven-Year hiatus

• The Hockey India League (HIL) returns after a seven-year hiatus, featuring players from top sides globally.
• The league will feature eight men’s and six women’s teams, making it the first professional league to have both genders playing concurrently.
• The men’s games will be held in Rourkela, while the women’s games will be in Ranchi.
• The players’ auction will be held over three days, October 13-15, with 675 men (500 Indian and 175 foreign) and 275 women (200 Indian, 75 foreign) registered.
• The auction will have a dedicated five-week window provided by the FIH (December 28-February 1) for the next 10 years.
• The teams will have 24-member squads with at least four juniors and eight foreigners on the roster.
• The base price for auction has been tentatively kept at ₹ two lakh, five lakh, and 10 lakh, with a ₹ four crore purse for men’s teams and 3 crore for women with no individual cap.
• Franchises will pay HI ₹10 crore every year as team fees.