The fifth instalment of the Coal Hockey India League which is organised by Hockey India will go underway on the 21st of January, Saturday. The first fixture post the opening ceremony will see the defending champions Jaypee Punjab Warriors clash against Dabang Mumbai on the latter’s home ground.
The tournament will span across six cities of Mumbai, Bhubaneshwar, Lucknow, Delhi, Chandigarh and Ranchi. The final will be staged on the 26th of February in Chandigarh. The tournament will feature some of the best hockey players from across the globe and India turning out for the six-team who will vie for the top honours at stake.
Tournament Record
2013- The Punjab Warriors had a season of mixed results in the first edition, finishing fourth overall after losing to the Uttar Pradesh Wizards in the 3rd-4th place match. Malak Singh was the top-scorer for the team with 4 field goals to his name.
2014- The team had a particularly successful outing with a top place finish after the pool stage but failed to go past the last hurdle when they lost the final encounter to the Delhi Waveriders. Sandeep Singh of the Warriors emerged as the highest goal-scorer with a record 11 goals.
2015- Akin to the previous season, Punjab Warriors cruised past the pool stage cementing their place at the top of the tally but somehow again ended up on the losing side in the finals after losing to the Ranchi Rays. Sandeep Singh finished as the second highest scorer behind Ashley Jackson.
2016- Third time lucky! The Jaypee Punjab Warriors emerged as the champions in the fourth edition of the tournament, thrashing the Kalinga Lancers 6-1 in the finals. Young gun Armaan Qureshi emerged as the highest scorer for his team with 8 goals to his name.
Also Read: Hockey India League 2017 Team Overview: Ranchi Rays
Key Players
Sardar Singh- The former captain of the Indian hockey team will lead the Punjab Warriors this time around. The 31-year old is one of Indian’s most prolific midfielders and has been instrumental in many wins for the national side in his career so far. He will play an important role if the Jaypee Punjab Warriors are to defend the title they won last year.
Robert van der Horst- The captain of the Dutch national team is the highest paid player from his country in the HIL. He will be the anchor of the Punjab Warriors’ defence having plenty of international experience, having been a silver medallist at the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 World Cup. Horst was also the FIH Player of the Year in 2015 and will be one of the players to watch out for in the HIL.
Armaan Qureshi- One of the young stars who came into his own when the Punjab Warriors won the league last year and has carried on right from there, to recently win the Junior Hockey World Cup in Lucknow. Playing in the capacity of a forward, he will lead the attack for the Warriors.
Also Read: Hockey India League 2017 Team Overview: Dabang Mumbai
Fixtures
Date | Time | Home Team | Away Team | Venue |
Friday 27 January | 19:00 | Dabang Mumbai | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Mumbai |
Wednesday 1 February | 19:00 | Ranchi Rays | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Ranchi |
Friday 3 February | 19:00 | Kalinga Lancers | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Bhubaneshwar |
Tuesday 7 February | 19:00 | Delhi Waveriders | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Delhi |
Thursday 9 February | 19:00 | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Ranchi Rays | Chandigarh |
Saturday 11 February | 19:00 | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Dabang Mumbai | Chandigarh |
Tuesday 14 February | 19:00 | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Uttar Pradesh Wizards | Chandigarh |
Friday 17 February | 19:00 | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Delhi Waveriders | Chandigarh |
Saturday 18 February | 19:00 | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Kalinga Lancers | Chandigarh |
Monday 20 February | 19:00 | Uttar Pradesh Wizards | Jaypee Punjab Warriors | Lucknow |
Squad
Forwards: Ajit Kumar Pandey (India), Armaan Qureshi (India), Jackob Whetton (Australia), Jasjit Singh Kular (India), Mark Gleghorne (England), Nithin Thimmaiah (India), Satbir Singh (India), SV Sunil (India)
Midfielders: Baljit Singh Boparai (India), Matt Gohdes (Australia), Robert Van Der Horst (Netherlands), Sardar Singh (India), Simon Orchard (Australia)
Defenders: Christopher Ciriello (Australia), Harbir Singh Sandhu (India), Hardik Singh (India), Mark Knowles (Australia), Varun Kumar (India)
Goalkeepers: Jugraj Singh (India), Tristan Clemons (Australia)
Coach: Barry Dancer
Home Stadium: Chandigarh Hockey Stadium
