Dilip Tirkey wants to take HIL to north India next season

BHUBANESWAR: The second edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) came to an end on Monday with Kalinga Lancers lifting the title after beating Ranchi Royals 3-2 in the final here at Kalinga Stadium.While the action on the ground was once again top notch throughout the past month, what was disappointing to see was the reaction from the fans. The men’s final saw a packed stadium but the other matches had below par turnout here. Even in Ranchi, it was a similar story.The women’s tournament, held entirely in Ranchi, saw better interest and the final saw a huge turnout but the men’s tournament in Chennai was a drab affair with only a handful of spectators in the stands.Keeping this in mind, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey wants to take the tournament to north India from next season onwards.“We will take it to north India next year – Delhi or Chandigarh. We will choose one of the two venues. Overall, we won’t increase the number of venues and keep it to 2-3,” said Tirkey during an interaction with the reporters here on Monday.He is moreover hoping to get more sponsors on board and make bigger spending on the central marketing of the tournament with support from the government and corporates. To make it easier for the franchises, there are also plans to reduce the franchise fees considerably which is currently Rs. 7 crore per year for the men’s teams and Rs. 3 crore per year for the women’s teams.This will hopefully stop teams from pulling out like they did before this season and also attract new franchises. “People in Gujarat have already shown interest in having teams in the men’s tournament. From Odisha, too, we have seen corporates expressing keenness,” said the HI president.While the former India captain did not confirm whether the number of teams will be going up in the women’s tournament, Digvijay Singh Deo, vice-president of SG Sports, wants it to happen.“If we’re going to have six teams, I think first let’s go to five teams on the lines of the Women’s Premier League model and then in a couple of years go to six teams,” said Digvijay. “If the target is to get the women into the Olympics and win a medal there, you need much more talent coming through and I think the talent is there.”He also wishes to see the prize money made equal in the men’s and women’s tournaments. Currently, the total team prize money for the women is Rs. 3 crores compared to Rs. 6 crores for the men.All this may seem to be a lot, but it is necessary for the tournament to be successful in the longer run and help Indian hockey to grow.