Mansukh Mandaviya will meet Hockey India League franchise owners and Hockey India officials on Monday
The revived HIL is facing unpaid player dues, rising operating costs and possible franchise withdrawals
Hockey India’s internal dispute has added pressure to efforts to stabilise the league
Dilip Tirkey had earlier raised the HIL issue with the Sports Minister during a World Cup review meeting
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will meet Hockey India League franchise owners and Hockey India officials on Monday as the revived tournament battles a financial and administrative crisis, PTI reported.
The league is facing unpaid player dues, rising operating costs, franchise withdrawals and the prospect of fewer teams. Turmoil within Hockey India has made rescue efforts harder and pushed the federation to seek urgent corporate support.
The meeting has gained weight because Hockey India is also dealing with an internal power struggle. A ministry source told PTI that HIL will be the agenda of Monday's meeting.
Hockey India Turmoil
The federation is in the middle of a fresh dispute.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey on Saturday stripped Director General Commander R K Srivastava of all his powers. The action was linked to the World Cup jersey row and several other incidents.
That internal crisis has added urgency to efforts to steady HIL. It also comes at a time when the league is already struggling with money issues and uncertainty over team participation.
Minister’s Earlier Assurance
The issue had already reached the minister last week.
During the World Cup performance review meeting with Mandaviya, Tirkey raised the HIL matter. The Sports Minister then assured the federation that he would explore ways to save the league.
That approach is expected to follow the efforts used to address the crisis around the Indian Super League. Last year, Mandaviya played a central role in resolving major financial and administrative problems faced by the ISL.
Stakeholders Attending Meeting
Those expected at Monday’s meeting include:
Alok Sanghi and K Sai Prakash from Hyderabad Toofans
Vijay Krishnan, General Manager, and Digvijay Singh Deo, Vice-President, from APL Pipers
Tamal Ghosal from Shrachi Bengal Tigers
Sukhvinder Singh, CEO of JKC Sports and former franchise operator of UP Rudras
Nitin Mittal, founder, and Alap Rai, co-founder, of Bengaluru-based India Sports Stack
Representatives from the Chennai franchise and the Odisha women’s team
JSW Sports CEO Divyanshu Singh will join online while a senior manager will attend in person. Hockey India will be represented by Tirkey along with office bearers and senior officials.
League’s Wider Significance
The ministry has framed the meeting as a step to keep the league running. "The Sports Minister has called franchise owners and Hockey India officials for a meeting tomorrow. The aim is to pave the way for the smooth operation of the league through dialogue," a ministry source told PTI.
The source also stressed the league’s value for Indian hockey after the women’s team’s World Cup run.
"The ministry feels that Indian hockey teams, especially the women players, have been making the nation proud with their strong performances. The women's team's performance at the World Cup was encouraging and reflects the immense potential of our players,” the source said.
"HIL will provide them with greater opportunities to compete, grow, and excel further strengthening the future of Indian hockey," the source said.
That view has gathered force after the Indian women finished fifth at the World Cup, their best result at the event since 1974. During the tournament in the Netherlands and Belgium, senior players including captain Salima Tete, goalkeeper Savita Punia, vice-captain Navneet Kaur and midfielder Neha Goyal appealed to PTI to save HIL.
After the World Cup, Savita also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mandaviya on social media to protect the league.
