Get Set For Some Spicy Action As Hockey Goes The IPL Way

After success of IPL Cricket league, now hockey also goes same way. The Lucrative series hockey was launched last month. Around 100 matches, 220 players including 60 foreign stars, live telecast in 10 countries- the world series of hockey announced by the IHF in partnership with Nimbus sports is being touted as the biggest thing for hockey. Lets look at some salient features :

LEAGUE FORMAT :

• Will comprise 8-10 teams in inaugural year & will be played on home & away basis. The first edition will be between Oct-Nov 2011 & Feb 2012.
• Top teams in preliminary league to qualify for playoffs, each of which will be decided on best of three formats. Team with best record in preliminary league gets to play two home matches.
• Teams will be sold as franchises with the first four getting special privileges in selecting players & venues.
• Nimbus sport to underwrite expenses, expected to be around Rs 120 crore. Funds to be raised by selling teams, branding & imaging rights & broadcast rights.
• WSH says it has signed most of the players including Sardar Singh & Sandep Singh.

PLAYER ALLOCATION :

• No auction proposed. Franchises to be allocated players as per a ‘draft system’ on the lines of NBA, NHL & NFL.
• Each team will get to pick a player in each round of draft till the pool is exhausted. From the next edition, teams finishing at the bottom of the preliminary league get to pick players first.
• Franchises will be allocated based on financial strengths of potential team owner, commitment to development of hockey & investment in hockey infrastructure.

WHAT’S THERE FOR FRANCHISE ?

• Will own the team along with WSH & run in consultation with the central league management for 15 years.
• Will get to earn revenue via team sponsorship, ticketing & hospitality during home matches.
• Will also get a percentage of the central revenues (title sponsorship, broadcast rights, imaging & branding of the league & players).

PROBLEM AREAS :

• IHF is not recognized by international hockey federation, so recruiting top foreign players will be a problem.
• Hockey India will not ban players but will not pick them for national duty either. Their line would be – play the league & forego the chance to represent the country.
• Players could also come under pressure from their employers.

WHAT PLAYERS WILL GET :

• Top players to get RS 40- 50 lakh in the inaugural year. This will include match – fee from franchise owner, share of team sponsorship money & total prize fund, expected to be over a million dollars. Lesser stars could earn Rs 15 – 20 lakh.

WHAT IHF WILL GET :

• Rs 30 crore for giving the rights for 15 years.
• A chance to revive the domestic league & popularize the sport.
• Support of the top players who had gone to Hockey India.
• A stake in running the league by providing technical officials & umpires, who will be paid by the WSH.