Hockey India League Revival Gets Major Push As Sports Ministry Forms Seven-Member Committee

The Sports Ministry has formally constituted a seven-member committee comprising representatives of Hockey India, HIL franchises and the ministry to work on the revival of the crisis-ridden Hockey India League.

The development comes after Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a meeting in September with Hockey India officials and representatives of HIL franchises and was apprised of the concerns surrounding the competition.

"The committee includes Sports Ministry joint secretary (Khelo India) Vineel Krishna, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, secretary general Bhola Nath Singh and treasurer Sekar J Manoharan," a ministry source told PTI.

"The three franchise representatives on the panel are Alok Sanghi, Mahesh Bhupathi and Divyanshu Singh."

After last month's meeting, a panel comprising representatives from Hockey India and the franchises and a senior Sports Ministry official had also been proposed. The minister had directed the stakeholders to work on the governance model, financial model and structure of the league on a priority basis. The committee had been asked to present its report to the ministry in a time-bound manner.

The latest order formally brings the stakeholders together under a seven-member committee, with the government having direct representation in the process.

Indian women's hockey players, including captain Salima Tete and Savita Punia, made an emotional public appeal to save the Women's Hockey India League (WHIL) from discontinuation amid severe financial distress during the World Cup in August, where the Indian team finished fifth, which was its best performance since 1974.

The HIL's next season is facing uncertainty, with franchises seeking greater clarity on its governance and financial structure.

The HIL was relaunched in 2024 after a seven-year hiatus and has since emerged as an important platform for providing domestic competition and exposure to Indian and overseas players. Its sustainability has, however, become a concern amid rising costs and uncertainty over franchise participation.

The latest move is also significant against the backdrop of the continuing power struggle within Hockey India, with president Tirkey and secretary general Bhola Nath Singh having differed publicly on several administrative issues in recent weeks, including the jersey row ahead of the World Cup.