It has now been officially announced that there will be no Hockey India League in 2018 and is likely to make a return in 2019. The decision was taken at the Hockey India Governing Committee meeting held on Tuesday. Although is it not confirmed that the tournament will be returning in 2019 as the franchises are not showing any interest in the league and also due to financial reasons.
The reason for the break was given that it is due to a clash of dates with the Indoor World Cup and it was not a permanent end for Hockey India League. Hockey India and HIL governing committee member R.P. Singh said, “It wasn’t possible to hold the HIL along with the World Cup. Plus there are the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the World Cup. It would have been very difficult to ensure full participation in all of these and the HIL. But let me categorically state that the league will be back in 2019.”
However, dates for 2018 Indoor World Cup were announced in January during the HIL. Thus, it will make one wonder how both Hockey India and FIH were unaware of the clash of dates.