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 Thirty foreign players; seven top teams; one-on-one innovation: twin venues - PHL goes big with Chennai hosting the first leg of PHL starting January 4, 2007.
The domestic hockey tournament of the country, Premier Hockey League, is all set to turn on the heat in Chennai as the top seven teams prepare to battle it out for the title from January 4, 2007, at the MRK Hockey Stadium.
With seven top teams in a single tier, one-on-one innovation set to make its debut and participation of 30 foreign players, the third season of the league has already been anticipated as being bigger, better and more icompetitive, said K P S Gill, president, Indian Hockey Federation, in Chennai on January 3, 2007.
"I am delighted with the response we have received from the international hockey fraternity. With 30 foreign players participating in the PHL this time I am sure a lot of players in the league will get exposed to the international standards of hockey. We have continued our policy of empowering the local IHF unit to choose the respective team composition in consultation with IHF. The foreign players were allotted to each team, in a meeting with the coaches of all seven teams. The foreign players were allotted in such a manner that all the seven teams achieve that critical balance which will ensure pulsating hockey in PHL," he added.
The foreign players allotted among the teams for the Chennai leg are as follows:
Chennai Veerans: Albert Casas (Spain), Ehsan Ullah (Pakistan), Muhammed Zabair (Pakistan).
Bangalore Lions: Thijs De Greff (Netherlands), Sander Van Der Weide (Netherlands), Rehan Butt (Pakistan).
Sher.E.Jalandhar: Don Prins (Netherlands), Mohammed Imran (Pakistan), Imran Khan (Pakistan).
Chandigarh Dynamos: Balder Bomans (Netherlands), Sajjad Anwar (Pakistan), Timo Bruinsma (Netherlands).
Maratha Warriors: Cesco Van Der Vliet (Netherlands), Adnan Maqsood (Pakistan), Imran Warsi (Pakistan).
Hyderabad Sultans: Sebastian Westerhout (Netherlands), Shakeel Abbasi (Pakistan), Tariq Aziz (Pakistan).
Orissa Steelers: Tjeerd Steller (Netherlands), Salman Akbar (Pakistan), Adnan Zakir (Pakistan).
On the allotment of the foreign players, K Jothikumaran, honorary general secretary, IHF, said, "The foreign players have been classified to play in short stints and some of them will play in the Chennai leg of the league and some will join their respective teams for the Chandigarh leg. The Pakistani players will, however, stay on for a longer duration."
Highlighting the new rules and innovations of the PHL, R C Venkateish, managing director, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, said, "This edition of Premier Hockey League will redefine hockey viewing in the country. We have gone bigger and better in this edition with a lot of firsts to ensure a more friendly and exciting viewing for the nation. Right from the latest one-on-one innovation to a high number of international players from top hockey countries like Australia, Netherlands and Spain, PHL has once again come forward to innovate itself for the Indian audiences."
T K Uthappa, vice-president and head, Tied Agency Sales, mentioned, "ING Vysya Life is glad to be associated with the Premier Hockey League for the second consecutive year. The objective of this association is to develop and promote hockey in India. Premier Hockey League with its many innovations as witnessed in 2006 has strengthened our partnership."
On being the official sponsor for the Bangalore Lions this year as well, Uthappa said, "We are glad to be part of this league which creates champions like the Bangalore Lions who won the league in 2006. This year the Bangalore Lions will have two players from the Netherlands."
S S Dasgupta, managing director, Leisure Sports Management, said, "The PHL extravaganza starts on January 4, 2007, and will treat Indian sports lovers this year with two months of pulsating action. We hope to build the league along with the festive season as a carnival for the audiences in Chennai and other PHL
centres."
Like the previous two years, each game will have four quarters of 17 minutes and 30 seconds each, instead of the two halves. The winner, within the stipulated time, will get three points for each victory, while the team winning in extra time will share the points 2:1.
There will be two periods of extra time of 7 minutes and 30 seconds each. Like last year, the first half of the extra time will be played on a Silver Goal basis. In case the second half of the extra time is required, then, like last year, the Golden Goal rule will be followed.
Every team will be given 2 x 2 minutes' time-outs in regulation time. These time-outs will be mandatory and have to be taken once in each half of play. In addition, each team will also be allowed 1 x 2 minute time-out which is not mandatory and can be availed of at any point during the regulation time. Each team will also be allowed 1 x 2 minute time-out which is non-mandatory and can be availed of during the extra time period only.
In case the match ends without a winning goal being scored in either of the two extra time periods, then the winner of the match would be decided through a penalty shootout competition. Each team will have five penalty shootouts each where 5 players will play a one-on-one with the goal-keeper of the opponent team. Each player will start with the ball on the 25 yard line and when the umpire blows the whistle, the player will have maximum of 8 seconds to score a goal with only the goal keeper defending the goal. The player can take as many shots possible within the stipulated 8 seconds.
The league this season has only one division, called the 'Premier Division'. The League will follow a round robin format with all teams playing each other twice. The top two teams from the round robin will play in 'Best of Three' finals to decide the winner.
The winner of the third edition will take home Rs 40 lakh, while the runners-up will carry Rs 15 lakh. The manner of division of prize money between players and their respective associations shall be specified by
IHF.
R Rangaraj
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