Bhubaneswar, 31/01/2025: Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey has shared plans to make the Hockey India League (HIL) even better in the future by focusing on marketing and improving the league’s schedule. While there are talks about expanding the Women’s HIL by adding more teams and possibly increasing the number of venues, Tirkey emphasized the importance of strengthening the league’s overall setup.
One of the main points raised by team owners is the need for better marketing to promote the league. Tirkey admitted that there was not enough time for full promotion this season but said they will work on it for the next one. “We need more marketing. This time, we had limited time, but it’s great that team owners are actively thinking about how to improve the league,” he said.
Another challenge has been scheduling. Due to the FIH calendar, which is already packed, some foreign players had difficulty joining the league during the holiday season. While Hockey India cannot change the FIH calendar, Tirkey mentioned they will request a small adjustment for future seasons. “We will ask if there’s a chance for a week or 10-day change, but the final decision is with FIH,” he explained.
Despite these challenges, Tirkey is proud of the league’s success so far, noting that the standard of matches has been high. He believes that with more improvements, the Hockey India League could become one of the best hockey leagues in the world.
