Savita Punia
Another franchise official, however, played down those concerns, pointing out that with franchise fees being scrapped from the next edition onwards, and each owner required to pay only Rs 1 crore each for a men’s and women’s team, two teams can now be run at a minimum cost of around Rs 12.5 crore. Because we felt it would give us good exposure, especially our young players, we had been looking forward to the league. SG Pipers won the tournament last year, while Shrachi Bengal Tigers clinched the title the year before.
“Financially, the league definitely helps, but more importantly, it gives you a platform to train and share your experiences with some of the best players in the world,” added Savita. Whose team incurred losses running into crores over the two seasons, the biggest reason for considering a pullout was Hockey India’s failure to raise funds as promised, according to one franchise owner. “The tournament isn’t financially viable and that is the only reason for deciding to pull out,” said the owner, who has teams in both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
KOLKATA: Despite the good showing by the Indian women’s hockey team at the ongoing World Cup, the players were in for a rude shock when they learnt about the concerns surrounding the next edition of the Women’s Hockey India League. “There are so many players who dream of doing something for India in hockey, and HIL is one of the best platforms to help them achieve that.
Of the four teams that competed last year, two are considering pulling out while another remains undecided. Reacting to the news, former India captain and one of the highest-capped player, Savita Punia, told TOI on Wednesday, “Ever since we came to know that teams in the women’s league are considering pulling out, it has definitely been a big shock for all of us.