5 ideas that could have made the build-up to the Hockey India League special

Not good enough?

I was very excited about the fact that the game of Hockey in this country has seen a new light and the money has come pouring in to the sport with different investors realizing that money can be earned using a crooked stick as well. While the Indian Premier League has set standards that HIL may not match in the 10^th year of its operation, I have serious doubts if the HIL would even get to a tenth season. There are many reasons why this league may not impress many but the major reason for me writing this article is the fact that I am hardly impressed by the promotional advertisements on TV.

The Hockey India League is supposed to be a break-through for hockey in the country and thus it needed an opening that one would remember for years to come. The opening may not necessarily mean the opening ceremony, it is the build up and the initial curiosity that is created about the league and by the advertisements that I have seen I do not feel a sense of excitement about the same.

5 ideas that could have made the build-up special

Better marketing campaign:

The commercials needed to send in a strong message. The current commercials say things like “Dushman ko aukaat dikhane ka waqt aa gaya hain”, which is ridiculous given all the teams have Indians and they are up against each other. The right kind of punch line for the advertisements could have been something like “A new sun-rise for Hockey in India” or something like “The National game goes International”. The league needs to paint a picture of a new dawn, especially after the internal fights in hockey.

The advertisements need to feature players people know, love and admire. Both Sardar Singh and Sandeep Singh are established players, but the other players featuring in the advertisements may surely not appeal to the audiences. The advertisements do not even mention the teams these players would be playing for and the teams as a whole are not introduced anywhere. We must at least be shown 5 advertisements for the 5 franchisees. Let us see the faces and let the faces bring a feeling of belonging among the people of respective cities.

The advertisements must be omnipresent. A few of them here and there is not going to help the game in any way. The country has not won anything substantial in the recent past, but a victory in the HIL needs to be projected as something big and huge, something that the audiences will relate to.

A catchy theme/tune:

The ads needed a theme or a line that was catchy, the audiences go ballistic when the IPL tune is rung and one can see the fervour of the tune and its longevity over 5 seasons. The ads need to turn heads and a catchy tune would have served the purpose. The HIL management could have also called for an anthem or a song for the league and then taken it forward. There is no song that breathes hockey, even the league that started before this which was termed the rebel league had wonderful advertisements and theme songs. The official league has not done so is a big disappointment.

Turn back the pages of history

Dhyan Chand – immortalised in the pages of history

The game of hockey has brought us accolades that even our rich cousins cannot boast of. The game has heroes and achievements that could last for many lifetimes and the league must make sure to use this history to give life back to this wonderful game. The best Indian sportsman ever, Major Dhyan Chand needs to feature as the whole and soul of any hockey competition in the country. He is the best hockey player the country has produced and even today the youth have a sense of attachment to him than to the current crop of players. The build-up should have added the days of glory to the latest saga in Indian hockey.

The other achievers of the game need to be associated with the league and brought to the forefront. These Indian greats know what it is like to be in a country that loves hockey and they can guide the restructuring of the game and the league.

Focus not on the money but the standards of the game and the treatment met out to the players

I have seen Sandeep Singh and Sardar Singh come out and say that there would be money and it would make players happy. I certainly beg to differ. The money that comes to the players in the IPL makes them look forward to playing for India. The money in the HIL may not exactly be the same. The treatment that the players get should be highlighted. The players should always travel by executive flights, they should stay at the best of hotels, and there should be some provisions for their families as well. Some long-term plans for their future should be made and the conditions in which they play the games should be improved.

There must be a franchise in all the metropolitan cities:

Taking nothing away from the UP and Jharkhand teams, I believe that a Bangalore and Chennai team is a must in any hockey league. The people in the cities and those with the spending power need to come closer to the games and to the idea they need to be entertained and given some incentive to come to the games. A franchise in a big city is the best recipe for success and once the league is successful it can be taken to the interiors of the country and the states.

Bring the teams to us. I bet no one in the 5 cities knows their entire team and the league must make sure that these players are brought closer to the citizens only then will they relate to them and come watch the games.

Though I sincerely want the HIL to do well, I have a gut feeling that the league is not here to stay. Unless all the players in India are brought under one roof and the issues between the FIH and IHF is settled we may not see a good league come into existence. I am however looking forward to the ‘unofficial’ WSH in Chennai and I am sure I will enjoy it a lot more than watching the ‘official’ HIL.