Hero MotoCorp to be title sponsor of FIH World Hockey League final

The Indian men’s hockey team

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced Hero MotoCorp Ltd as title sponsor of the 2015 men’s Hockey World League final.

Taking place in Raipur, Chhattisgarh between 27 November and 6 December 2015, the event will be called the ‘Hero Hockey World League Final’.

The sponsorship sees Hero continue its ongoing support for the sport of hockey and the FIH. Hero has provided the title sponsorship for numerous FIH flagship events, including the men’s World Cup 2010, Junior World Cup 2013 and the inaugural men’s World League Final 2014, which were all held in the capital. Hero was also title sponsor of the men’s Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar later in 2014.

Mr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director and CEO, Hero MotoCorp Ltd., expressed his delight at the partnership. He said, “The ‘Hero Hockey World League Final 2015’ is yet again going to bring world-class hockey to the country. This will give an opportunity for all the top teams including Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium, Argentina, Canada and India to sharpen their skills before they head into the Rio Olympics next year.

“As a keen supporter of our national game, I am also quite happy to see the event being held at Raipur in the state of Chhattisgarh, because this will give a golden opportunity for hockey fans there to see top class action up close for the first time. This move will certainly go a long way in further popularizing the game in the country.”

FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather noted: “Hero is one of world’s leading brands; therefore to partner with one of India’s most successful businesses once again is fantastic for our sport. We’ve already seen the effect that Hero’s commitment to hockey has had, especially in India where the national men’s team has already qualified for Rio 2016.

“Their support extends much beyond India however as their input continues to fuel the growth of hockey around the world. We look forward to working with Hero in Raipur as we aim to make the Hero Hockey World League Final a truly fantastic event for everyone involved.”

Following the conclusion of the Hockey World League semi-finals in July, the field is now set for the final.

The World League final line-up includes eight national men’s hockey teams who qualified through the World League semi-finals in Buenos Aires and Antwerp.

They include Australia, ranked number one in the FIH world rankings, Netherlands (2), Germany (3), Belgium (4), Great Britain (5), Argentina (6), hosts India (8) and Canada (13).

The event will be held in the 3,000 capacity Raipur International Hockey Stadium which was opened as a dedicated hockey facility in August 2014.