New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS): The re-introduction of the Hockey India League 2024, a tournament that has not taken place since 2017, is a milestone for the sport. Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey was ecstatic whilst announcing the venture and went on to claim that it was a ‘dream come true’ for him.

“Hockey India League was not just my dream but of the entire nation. I believe that it is a great platform and it will be one of the best leagues in the world where top players from around the world will be playing in the league from December 28 to February 5.

The return of the HIL was officially announced by Hockey India on Friday, marking the end of a seven-year break for the league. The upcoming season will feature eight men’s teams and six women’s teams, with matches set to run from December 28 to February 5. The men’s tournament will be hosted in Rourkela, while Ranchi will stage the women’s competition.

Not only will this be the first HIL that will feature women’s teams, but in a landmark step Hockey India also announced that both leagues will run simultaneously.

The announcement of the women’s Hockey India League has added to the excitement with the promise of developing the women's national team alongside. The advancement of the women’s team is of utmost importance. The men's team has won successive bronze medals in the Olympic Games in Tokyo (2020) and Paris (2024) while the women's team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics after a fourth-place finish in Tokyo.

“I was disappointed that the women's team did not qualify for the Olympics this time (Paris 2024) but I guarantee that in the coming World Cup and Olympics, the men's team will win a gold medal and the women's team will definitely win a medal too no matter the colour," Hockey India Secretary General, Bola Nath Singh told IANS.