News Headline
13 foreign players roped in by IHF-ESS hockey league
MUMBAI: The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) today announced the members of the five Tier I teams along with their respective coaches and managers. A total of thirteen foreign players have confirmed to play for the inaugural Premier Hockey League (PHL), the confirmed player list including two international captains – Wasim Ahmed from Pakistan and Juan Pablo Escarre from the Champions Trophy winning Spain. Sohail Abbas, the great Pakistani player will be playing for the Hyderabad Sultans under the captaincy of Dilip Tirkey.
ESPN -Star Sports will be telecasting all the Tier I matches live and exclusive while selected Tier II matches will be broadcast on a deferred Live basis. These will be preceded by a special weekly programme titled the Scoop. The first match of the league will be between the home team ‘Hyderabad Sultans’ and Gaganajit Singh lead ‘Sher-e-Jallandhar’.
ESPN Software India managing director R C Venkateish says, “It is heartening to see three years of detailing and hard work taking shape. In exactly eight days from today sports fans across India will enjoy a world class league being brought to them at viewer friendly times with great analysis and world class telecast live and exclusively on Star Sports. Our world-class production crew, with some the finest equipment flown in from our Singapore offices where we have a state-of-the-art production centre, will be working overtime to ensure that the PHL telecast is among the best in the world. Considering that
hockey is our national game, it adds to the joy of creating a world class sports property. Experienced colleagues will also be flying in from Singapore to produce and direct the PHL telecast. All Tier I matches will be telecast in English and in Hindi.”
IHF president K P S Gill gushed, “I am delighted with the response we have received from the international hockey fraternity in the very first year. To be able to attract 13 foreign players shows the profile we have been able to build for the league in the very first year itself. Two out of list includes the Pakistani and the Spanish Captain from the recently concluded Champions Trophy. Presence of Sohail, Juan Pablo, Nor Azlan, Wasim Ahmed also endorses that this league is set to make an international mark in the first few years itself. We are expecting more confirmations to come within the next 2-3 days. Els van Breda Vriesmann, president, International Hockey Federation has also confirmed to be in Hyderabad to witness the inaugural match.”
According to IHF, players across the country have been extremely excited at the opening of this new opportunity to showcase their wares. PHL will greatly benefit the players as they will get an avenue to display their talent and be recognised by the sports fans. IHF has ensured that players are provided good carefree environment for them to perform well during the
tourney.
The Hyderabad Sultans team includes – Dilip Tirkey (Captain) Sohail Abbas (Pakistan), Wasim Ahmed (Pakistan), Rajasekhar S, Inderjeet Singh Chadha, Ajitesh Rai, Harsha Vardhan, Chandan Singh, Suresh, Lazrus Barla, Sameer Dad, Sreejesh (Goal Keeper), Nitya Jayanand, Cyril Ekka, Susan Topno and Ahmed Alam (from Pakistan). The team will be managed by P Kanthiah (Manager), Narendra Pal Singh will be the Chief Coach. He will be assisted by K Dr. Bose ( Asst Coach). Alphonse Lazrus will be the trainer of the team while Arjun will be the assistant Manager.
Speaking on the occasion, Leisure Sports Management managing director Benu Dasgupta says, “It is great to see that our dream project the Premier Hockey League is all set to capture the minds and hearts of the hockey loving people of India. I had the great honour of giving the presentation on PHL at the recently concluded FIH congress at the Leipzig, Germany where the concept was well appreciated by all the members giving us the confidence and impetus to make this event one of
the best in the world.”
The month long league kicks off on 13 January with Innovations being made in the ‘PHL’ to increase viewer interest in the game. Each game will have four quarters of 17 minutes and 30 second each, instead of the two halves. New concepts of time-outs have also been introduced in order to liven up the game. The winner within the stipulated time will get three points for each victory while the team winning in the extra time will share the points 2:1.
The league will have two tiers having five teams each in the first
year. Tier I will be called the Premier Division and Tier II will be
called the First Division. The league will follow a round robin
format with all teams playing each other twice. The winner will be decided on the basis of total points.
PHL will offer a total prize money of Rs 7.1 million. The winner of the Tier I will take home RS 3 million while the runners up will carry RS one million. The winner of Tier II will get RS 400,000 while the runner up will receive RS 250,000. Allocation of above prizes between players and the respective associations however shall be specified later by IHF.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
