Hockey India League 2024/25 Auction Highlights
Exciting Bids in New Delhi
The Hockey India League Player Auction 2024/25 for the men’s competition took place in New Delhi, with all eight franchises forming strong teams for the upcoming season in Rourkela. The auction spanned two days, with overseas players attracting significant bids.
Top Overseas Players
Belgium’s Victor Wegnez was the most expensive overseas player, sold for Rs 40 lakh to Soorma Hockey Club. Other notable overseas players included Dutch Captain Thierry Brinkman (Rs 38 lakh) and Belgium’s Arthur Van Doren (Rs 32 lakh), both joining Kalinga Lancers.
Indian Players Shine
Among Indian players, Harmanpreet Singh was the top buy, acquired by Soorma Hockey Club for Rs 78 lakh. Abhishek and Hardik Singh were also among the top Indian buys, going to Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers and UP Rudras, respectively.
Young Talent
Young players with a base price of Rs 2 lakh also saw significant bids. Angad Bir Singh was bought by Kalinga Lancers for Rs 26 lakh, while Rajinder went to Hyderabad Toofans for Rs 23 lakh.
Upcoming Women’s Auction
The Women’s Auction is set for Tuesday, marking a significant step for women’s hockey. The revamped league will feature 8 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams, with the women’s league being the first standalone competition in the country.
League Schedule
The league will start on December 28, with matches in Ranchi and Rourkela. The women’s league will end on January 26, 2025, in Ranchi, and the men’s final will be on February 1, 2025, in Rourkela.
Doubts Revealed
Harmanpreet Singh -: Harmanpreet Singh is a famous Indian field hockey player known for his skills as a defender and drag-flicker. He plays for the Indian national team and has been a key player in many international tournaments.
Hockey India League -: The Hockey India League is a professional field hockey league in India where teams compete against each other. It includes both Indian and international players and is similar to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in cricket.
Auction -: An auction is an event where players are bought by teams. Teams bid money to buy players they want, and the player goes to the team that offers the most money.
Rs 78 lakh -: Rs 78 lakh is a way to express money in India. It means 7,800,000 rupees, which is a large amount of money used to buy a player in the auction.
Victor Wegnez -: Victor Wegnez is a field hockey player from Belgium. He is known for his excellent skills and has played in many international matches for his country.
Standalone competition -: A standalone competition means that the event is held separately and is not part of another event. In this case, it refers to the women’s league being held independently for the first time in India.
Ranchi and Rourkela -: Ranchi and Rourkela are cities in India. Ranchi is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand, and Rourkela is a city in the state of Odisha. They will host the finals of the Hockey India League.
