Today in New Delhi, Hockey India announced something exciting: the National Women’s Hockey League 2024 – 2025. This is a big deal for sports in our country. The league will happen in two parts. The first part will start in Ranchi, Jharkhand, from April 30th to May 9th, 2024. All the games will be played at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium. This stadium hosted important events like the FIH Olympic Qualifiers and the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy.
The National Women’s Hockey League is the first league of its kind for women in India. It will showcase the talents and skills of female hockey players. The goal is to give new players a chance to shine and make women’s hockey more respected in the country. The league will feature tough competition among the top state teams that did well in the 14th Hockey India Senior Women’s National Championships.
After the 14th Hockey India Senior Women’s National Championship, the top eight state teams qualified for the first season of the National Women’s Hockey League. These teams are Hockey Haryana, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Bengal, Hockey Mizoram, Manipur Hockey, and Hockey Association of Odisha. They earned their spots through their excellent performance and dedication to the sport.
Also, the National Women’s Hockey League will help find talented players for the national team. It gives selectors a chance to discover and support players for future international games.
Dr. Dilip Tirkey, the President of Hockey India, is excited about the league. He says, “This league is a big moment for Indian hockey, especially for our women players. It shows our strong support for women’s sports and will help women’s hockey grow in our country.”
Hockey India’s Secretary General, Mr. Bhola Nath Singh, is really excited about the league. He says, “The National Women’s Hockey League is a big deal for Indian hockey, especially for our women players. It shows how dedicated we are to women’s sports and will help women’s hockey grow a lot in our country.”