Hockey India League's fifth edition to kick-start on 21 January

New Delhi: The fifth edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) will begin on 21 January with a clash between Dabang Mumbai and Ranchi Rays in Mumbai. [caption id=“attachment_3118710” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Hockey India League logo. Image credit: Twitter/@HockeyIndiaLeag[/caption] The semifinals will be played on February 25 while the final is scheduled for 26 February. “The Finals weekend as is tradition will be hosted at the defending Champions home ground, in this case the Jaypee Punjab Warriors stadium at Chandigarh,” a press relase stated. FIH President and HIL Chairman Narinder Dhruv Batra said, “It has not just been a great spectacle for fans and players, but also a great model to demonstrate sustained growth for the sport. We hope to raise the bar again this season, by increasing reach to more fans via innovative mediums as well as better revenues for players and sponsors.” “At the heart of its concept, the Hockey India League benefits our Indian players development immensely by allowing them to play alongside some the best players in the world hence learning new techniques that go a long way during the hockey season,” Batra concluded.