It all starts here!
14 Jan 2013 1:27 AM GMT
The much awaited Hockey India League (HIL) will finally take off on Monday when home team Delhi Waveriders take on Jaypee Punjab Warriors in the openerat the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium here.
Both teams will look to starting the tournament with a win. The home team have an excellent composition led by skipper and playmaker Sardar Singh. The midfielder will be helped by Kiwi forward Simon Child, Danish Mujtaba and Gurvinder Singh Chandi.
Yuvraj Walmiki, 23, hailing from Mumbai, would also like to open his account right at the beginning of the tournament. However, the Punjab Warriors are on the backfoot when it comes to defending as they lack experience. Nevertheless, the field will be rotated as the substitutes are brought in.
The home team also suffered a huge blow Thursday as it was announced that their star defender and legendary drag-flicker Taeke Taekema of the Netherlands was ruled out of thetournament due to a back injury.
It will be down to head coach Ajay Bansal to decide who takes strike during the crucial penalty corners.On the other hand, the visitors will be led by ace striker Jamie Dwyer of Australia.pti
HIL BUILD HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Can Hockey India League (HIL) change the lifestyle of hockey players similar to cricketers who found an El Dorado in the Indian Premier League? Not yet, the money involved in the HIL, beginning Monday, is nowhere near the mindboggling figures of the IPL, still it is good enough to motivate the Indian hockey players to improve their stick work. The players, who are paid a pittance for donning the national colours, were traded in big-time dollars at the auction last month. The foreign players, too, would be paid handsomely for the month-long league . India captain Sardar Singh, who will be leading the Delhi Waveriders in the tournament he came under the hammer for $78,000. ‘It is great to see the players getting good money. I am expecting the level in HIL to be much higher than the leagues I have played in,’ said star striker Dwyer. Its just the start for hockey.
Both teams will look to starting the tournament with a win. The home team have an excellent composition led by skipper and playmaker Sardar Singh. The midfielder will be helped by Kiwi forward Simon Child, Danish Mujtaba and Gurvinder Singh Chandi.
Yuvraj Walmiki, 23, hailing from Mumbai, would also like to open his account right at the beginning of the tournament. However, the Punjab Warriors are on the backfoot when it comes to defending as they lack experience. Nevertheless, the field will be rotated as the substitutes are brought in.
The home team also suffered a huge blow Thursday as it was announced that their star defender and legendary drag-flicker Taeke Taekema of the Netherlands was ruled out of thetournament due to a back injury.
It will be down to head coach Ajay Bansal to decide who takes strike during the crucial penalty corners.On the other hand, the visitors will be led by ace striker Jamie Dwyer of Australia.pti
HIL BUILD HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Can Hockey India League (HIL) change the lifestyle of hockey players similar to cricketers who found an El Dorado in the Indian Premier League? Not yet, the money involved in the HIL, beginning Monday, is nowhere near the mindboggling figures of the IPL, still it is good enough to motivate the Indian hockey players to improve their stick work. The players, who are paid a pittance for donning the national colours, were traded in big-time dollars at the auction last month. The foreign players, too, would be paid handsomely for the month-long league . India captain Sardar Singh, who will be leading the Delhi Waveriders in the tournament he came under the hammer for $78,000. ‘It is great to see the players getting good money. I am expecting the level in HIL to be much higher than the leagues I have played in,’ said star striker Dwyer. Its just the start for hockey.
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