HIL to feature two more franchises

The next edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) will feature two more franchises.

It is learnt that either two of Bhopal, Hyderabad, Raipur and Bangalore will be chosen as the host cities when Hockey India holds its executive committee meeting on Saturday. The HIL franchise owners are also expected to meet on the same day.

What gives these four cities the edge is the presence of quality stadiums and turfs. Just a week ago, a brand new international hockey stadium with a blue artificial turf and a capacity of 4,000 spectators was inaugurated in Raipur.

There were talks that Pune might be on of the venues. However, Hockey India secretary general Narinder Batra said Pune cannot be an option.

"I had never said that Pune was one of the options. Where is the stadium in Pune? We are looking at Bhopal, Hyderabad, Raipur and Bangalore as the options," Batra told dna on Friday.

Batra also rubbished suggestions that the next season of HIL will feature one franchise less after reports emerged that the Dabur Group-owned Mumbai Magicians were likely to pull out of the tournament. He insisted that the third edition of the league will be an eight-team affair (existing six plus two more), and added that the franchise had simply put its players in the auction, which is likely to be held in October.

A source from the Magicians team, however, said that the meeting between HI and the franchise owners on Saturday will be the key to the future of the Mumbai franchise in the league. "Things will be clear only tomorrow (September 6). Whatever has been said so far is mere speculation," the source added. Team owner Amit Burman did not reply to queries.

The third edition of the multi-city tournament is scheduled to be held in January next year.