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Former Indian captain Sardar Singh is excited about return of HIL

Former Indian captain and midfielder Sardar Khan is excited for the return of Hockey India League.

Former Indian captain Sardar Singh is excited about return of HIL
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The Bridge Desk

Updated: 11 Oct 2024 5:20 PM GMT

Former Indian Men’s Hockey Team Captain Sardar Singh is ecstatic with the return of the Hockey India League and hopes for an edge-of-the-seat Auction in two days.

Over 1,000 players have registered for the HIL 2024-25 Players’ Auction with the Men’s Auction being held on 13th and 14th October, while the historic Women’s Auction will take place on the 15th of October.

In the first edition, in 2013, the 38-year-old was named Player of the Tournament with Delhi Waveriders. He played all editions of the league, rubbing shoulders with players like Jamie Dwyer, Moritz Fürste, and many more.

“The HIL was an unforgettable experience; we were in a high-performance environment for an extended period, playing against and alongside some of the best players in the world. This created a learning environment for players by exposing them to different cultures and mindsets. For an impressionable young player, there is nothing more crucial than positive exposure,” Sardar Singh commented.

Sardar Singh was the youngest player to captain the Indian team, at 21 years of age, when he led the side at the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Since then he has groomed countless players as a captain and as a coach.

“In a way, HIL inspired the success of the Junior Men’s Hockey Team Uttar Pradesh Hockey Junior World Cup Men Lucknow 2016. The League provided an avenue for players to be scouted while also exposing them to international-level hockey. Current mainstays in the team; Harmanpreet, Mandeep, Sumit, and many more were identified and groomed in the HIL. Captain Harmanpreet played HIL in 2015, which helped him develop quicker and he went on to lead the team to victory, scoring 3 crucial goals as a 19-year-old,” he shared.

In his last season of HIL in 2017, Sardar Singh was the Co-Captain of Jaypee Punjab Warriors and mentored current Indian Men’s Hockey Team Vice Captain Hardik Singh. Emulating his idol, Hardik has developed into a commanding midfielder and has clinched two Olympic bronze medals. All while donning the same jersey as Sardar Singh, number 8.

“The HIL will be bigger and better this time around and with a Women’s league being held concurrently, the League is set to revive Indian hockey's golden era. A larger number of Indian players will be in line to experience hockey at the highest level, leading to a larger pool of potential players for the Indian Hockey Teams,” he said.

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