HIL a coveted platform for players, says Hyderabad Toofans' Sai Prakash

When Hockey India announced the return of the Hockey India League, it was a no-brainer for Sai Prakash. He wanted to Resolute Sports to own a franchise and be a part of the development of Indian hockey.

Having already ventured into volleyball with the Prime Volleyball League (PVL), Sai Prakash, the CEO of Resolute Sports, now aims to replicate volleyball's success in hockey with the Hyderabad Toofans.

“For me, the choice of hockey was simple, it is our national sport and a very exciting sport. This is a sport where India has won 15 medals in Olympics,” he said, in an exclusive interview with The Bridge.

He was extremely pleased with the return of HIL, noting that it will help take the game forward and give it the due recognition.

“We feel hockey hasn’t had its due recognition, and I’m very happy Hockey India has brought back the HIL, especially after the recent resurgence of the Indian hockey team. I feel this is a deserved platform for hockey players, and hockey as a sport,” he added.

Pasha Gademan at the helm

Hyderabad Toofans boast of a strong coaching staff, backed by Pasha Gademan, Siddarth Pandey, Sanjay Bir, and Emily Calderon and it will be exciting to see how well they can groom their players.

Sai Prakash is of the belief that a core group of hockey enthusiasts and people who are aware of the nitty gritty of the sport must run the franchise.

“We wanted a good core of coaches, from whom the players, especially the Indian juniors and Indian regulars benefit and we have a good set of coaches. We have Pasha Gademan, one of the best in the world. We also have an Indian coach, Sanjay Bir, from the railways,” he said, heaping praise on the support staff.

Gademan's way, a strong defense

Hyderabad have gone in with a defense and midfield-heavy squad, investing the bulk of their cash in reinforcing the backline and the midfield.

Their biggest buy was Gonzalo Peillat, one of the best drag-flickers in the world, for INR 68 lakhs.

They also have a strong Indian midfield, comprising of Nilakanta Sharma and Sumit, Rajinder. Meanwhile, the forward line comprises of exciting talents like Shilaland Lakra, who was outstanding in the recently concluded Senior Men’s Hockey Nationals.

“We always believed in having a good Indian core and then adding overseas players and building a strong team and that’s what we’ve done (at the auction). We have Sunil Walmiki and Nikalanta, who have been very reliable for the national team. We also got Rajinder, who shows great promise, and Shilaland, who was the hero of the Hockey Nationals,” Sai Prakash said.

He also spoke very highly about the overseas players in the squad.

“We have added Gonzalo Peillat, we need goal scorers and Gonzalo is one of the best in the business. We have Maico Casella, one of the best players in the world.”

Additionally, Sai Prakash spoke of a long term approach towards the acquisition of younger players, stating that retaining players beyond the three-year cycle took precedence in their choice of youngsters for the squad.

Excitement about women’s HIL

What sets apart the HIL’s return is the start of the Women’s HIL. While Sai Prakash was unable to get a team in the women’s HIL he is hopeful of owning a team in the future, possibly next year.

“We’ve been told that the Hyderabad women’s team will be there next year with us,” he reckoned, while acknowledging the efforts put in by the women’s team, mentioning the recently concluded Asia Cup which the Indian women ended up winning.

“The Indian women are showing a lot of promise. The way they won the Asian Championships was great. They’ve been in the top 10 consistently, and I feel women’s hockey in India has a good future.”

With the Hockey India League set to begin on 28th December, the excitement is palpable and there is no doubt that the league will elevate the standards of Indian Hockey.

What's more, with the Indian men winning a bronze at the Paris Olympics this year and the World Cup on the radar next, the HIL could not have come at a better time.

Note:

- The Men’s matches of the HIL will take place between the 28th of December 2024 and the 1st of February 2025 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela.

- The Women’s matches of the HIL will be played between the 12th of January and the 26th of January 2025 at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium, Ranchi

- Free passes may be booked on https://ticketgenie.in/