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Former India captain Sardar Singh is ecstatic with the return of Hockey India League after a long gap of seven years and believes that HIL will bring back the glory days of Indian hockey.
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 15th 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 Furste and many more.
"The HIL was an unforgettable experience; we were in a high-performance environment for an extended period of time, 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 said.
Sardar 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 added.
In his last season of HIL in 2017, Sardar Singh was the co-captain of Jaypee Punjab Warriors and mentored current India vice-captain Hardik Singh. Emulating his idol, Hardik has developed into a commanding midfielder and has clinched two Olympics Bronze medals. All while donning the same jersey as Sardar Singh -- No 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.
Sardar had an illustrious career as a hockey player. His accolades include silver medals at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, gold medals at the Asia Cup in 2007 and 2017, and a memorable gold at the 2014 Asian Games. He played for the Indian Men's Hockey Team 314 times, with his last international match being the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where India finished third.
"There are some big international stars who have registered to be featured in the Auction; a testament to the stature of the league. I wish all the players who have registered the best of luck and hope to see new faces emerge and continue to raise the standard of Indian hockey," he added.