Ex-India captain Pritam Siwach hails Hockey India's National Women's League initiative

Former Indian women's hockey team captain Pritam Rani Siwach, a Dronacharya Awardee, hailed Hockey India's initiative to host the National Women's Hockey League 2024-2025.

Lauding the initiative, Pritam, who runs the Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy in Sonipat, said, “It is an excellent initiative started by Hockey India. The National Women’s Hockey League will provide an opportunity for young players to showcase their skills and techniques and make a name for themselves, thus creating their own pathway to the National team going forward.”

It must be noted that the Pritam Siwach Hockey Academy has produced many stars for the Indian team, such as Neha, Sharmila Devi, Nisha Warsi, and Jyoti, among others.

“Through this, the players will also get to know what areas they need to work on and how they can improve their game. It is also equally important for the coaches as well as they will be more aware of the players and how they can work on them, train them and refine their game,” she added.

The National Women's Hockey League is the first domestic women’s league of its kind in India, promising an exhilarating showcase of talent and skill.

The league is structured into two phases, with the inaugural phase set to take place in Ranchi, Jharkhand, from April 30 to May 9. All matches during this phase will be hosted at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium.

The National Women’s Hockey League will feature teams that secured top-eight positions in the recently concluded 14th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2024 in Pune.

The teams are – Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Mizoram, Hockey, and Odisha.