The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
Hockey India League is a professional league for field hockey competition in India. It is organised by Hockey India.
Each HIL franchise has 24 players which include 10 foreign and 14 Indian players. The players were acquired in an auction which was held on 16 December.
A total of 246 players were available for the auction out of which 93 were foreign player and 153 local. Teun de Nooijer is the highest paid player of the league who was bought by Uttar Pradesh Wizards whereas Sardar Singh is the highest paid Indian player bought by Delhi Wave Riders. The participating players were given the privilege to choose their base price which will have four slabs.
The Hockey India League is bringing the best coaches in the world – like Ric Charlesworth etc (see the profiles of the coaches in HIL here)- and the top international players are coming over to be part of the whole Hockey League. Will it be any better than the other two attempts at creating such leagues in India? That is an important question for, Premier Hockey League (PHL) and World Series Hockey have been two other private leagues were started earlier. The latter fizzled out and the latter hasn’t really picked up at all.
The teams – and their details – in the Hockey India League is given in the table below:
Three reasons why this league may be successful –
Rs. 100 crores invested: Good amount of money has been pumped into this league.
FIH is onboard with this effort: FIH is creating a special window for the HIL and this league is sanctioned by that body. This enables the international players to participate in the league in the off-season time.
Top World Hockey Coaches and Players participating: The best names in the world are coming over. For the many hockey players, this will be like the ultimate place to be in as no other option in the sport provides them avenues to make money.
The first match was played between Delhi Waveriders and Punjab Warriors, which was won by Delhi Waveriders 2-1. The Hero goal of the match was awarded to Oscar Deecke of the Delhi Waveriders. The man of the match was awarded to Jacob Stockman from Punjab Warriors.
Here are the highlights of this first match:
Here are some excellent Promos of the whole league event from the TV:
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
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