Wizcraft throws its hat into WSH ring

Dhanraj Pillai with the team Captains

World Series Hockey saw a new entrant on Monday — Delhi Wizards. The team, owned by event management and entertainment company Wizcraft, joins Karnataka Lions, Chennai Cheetahs and Pune Strykers. The team will be captained by striker Lucas Vila and one of the world’s best coaches, Roelant Oltmans.

Confirming their decision to join World Series Hockey, Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International, said:

“We have been associated with marquee sports events like the ICC World Cup 2011, Indian Premier League and the Commonwealth Games. We see tremendous opportunity in sports in terms of a business and more importantly in building a loyal fan base. This is an important step that will further expand the canvas for Wizcraft and help build a strong following for our national game.”

Yannick Colaco, COO, Nimbus Sport, said they were delighted to welcome Wizcraft to the WSH family. Colaco said: “We see tremendous opportunity in marrying sports and entertainment and with the extensive global experience that Wizcraft possess, they make a fantastic partner for WSH.”

The WSH will be held from December 17, 2011 to January 22, 2012 and will involve 200 leading players — Indian and international — who will showcase their talent in 61 matches. It will be a multi-city franchise-based league with players being allocated to the teams based on the internationally accepted and practiced ‘draft’ system.

A joint initiative between the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Nimbus Sport, World Series Hockey was conceived to reinvigorate hockey in India and to make it the “sport of choice” for young Indians. A significant guaranteed investment into infrastructure and players will give the game a big boost. The WSH has a total prize purse of approximately US $2 million. The inaugural tournament will be played with eight teams across India. The action-packed league of 61 matches featuring 200 players from India and across the world will be televised live across 30 countries on multiple media platforms.