It’s that time of the year again. A time to both look at the present and dream for the future.
The PHL begins today in Chandigarh, with Hyderabad Sultans taking on the Dynamos
MUMBAI: It’s that time of the year again. A time to both look at the present and dream for the future. And with the Beijing Games a little over seven months away, this could serve as the right platform to give the final touches to the team’s composition. It’s Premier Hockey League (PHL) time. All preparations for the conduct of the 22-day event, which is into its fourth edition, has been completed.
The tournament begins at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium in Chandigarh from Thursday, with local favourites Chandigarh Dynamos locking sticks with Hyderabad Sultans.
“There will be players from the Netherlands, Pakistan and South Korea, who have been allocated to the seven participating teams after detailed discussions with the respective State associations. We have taken utmost care to ensure that all teams are equally balanced so that spectators get to see some quality hockey. The change in format this year will also add to the excitement. There will be no room for complacency for any team,” Indian Hockey Federation chief KPS Gill said on Wednesday. The IHF is holding the event in association with ESPN-Star Sports and Leisure Sports Management.
“This is a very important season for us. The Olympics qualifiers are just three months away and I am sure this event will help us further in our preparations. Let’s hope it helps unearth some new talents,” added Gill.
This year’s edition will see some rule changes, which, one hopes, will help in enforcing better discipline. The most significant change is that even a green card will mean that the erring player will not be allowed to participate in the game for a period of two minutes. This will deter players from any rough play.
The PHL carries a total prize money of Rs 76 lakh. The winning team gets Rs 40 lakh, the runners-up Rs 20 lakh, while the losing semifinalists take home Rs 5 lakh each.
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