Hockey India League to reduce franchise fees next season

Hockey India (HI) will reduce franchise fees next season in order to ease the financial burden on team owners of the Hockey India League (HIL).

Following the conclusion of the second edition of the revived HIL in Bhubaneswar on Monday, HI president Dilip Tirkey acknowledged that making the league, from which some teams pulled out before the 2025-26 season, financially viable would be the primary task.

“We need to pay more attention to the central sponsorship. We need the help of the Government. Whether it is a league or a tournament, without the Government’s support, it cannot be a grand success. We are also taking help from the corporate sector,” Tirkey told reporters here.

Tirkey said easing the financial burden on franchises would be a priority. “We will not make it (franchise fees) zero. We will reduce it and reset it. The financial burden will be less,” he said, adding there had been interest from Gujarat and Odisha for ownership of HIL franchises.

The HI president also admitted that the HIL needed to be promoted better.

While admitting that crowd response in Chennai and Ranchi was below expectations, Tirkey said the HIL might be moved to north India next season. “Because of fog, flights can be delayed. That is why we did not choose north India. We will take it to north India next year – Delhi or Chandigarh. But we will keep it restricted to two or three venues.”

Amid all the issues, Tirkey was delighted that HIL staged high-quality matches and highlighted promising Indian youngsters. “The quality of the league is getting better. A lot of young Indian players are coming up. They will get a chance in the FIH Pro League (in the run-up to the World Cup and Asian Games). We will make it the best league in the world,” said Tirkey.

Published on Jan 27, 2026