Stick check: HIL makes slow progress

Which means you are one of us, replied Shukla. This isnt quite the right forum to discuss these details. Well sit together afterwards and answer all your queries.

One-and-a-half-months later,Iqbal,who had been there on behalf of the Jaypee Group,who own the Punjab franchise,hasnt yet heard from Hockey India.

I havent got any response so far, Iqbal told The Indian Express. Since it was a new venture and there were things such as players auction,I had a few questions about that and the format. But no one got back to me with answers.

After that initial announcement,the Hockey India League seems to have hit a roadblock. They named the first four franchises by September and claimed that two teams from the South and the West would be unveiled very soon,but there has hardly been any progress on that front.

Auction delayed

And though they have identified almost all players Indian and foreign for the auction,the auction itself has been pushed ahead from an initially suggested late-October date to November as there was no breakthrough on the remaining two franchises.

We never said that the auction would happen in October. It was the media who were speculating, said Batra. Asked about the terms,he added: These things take time. Well announce the names next week.

That too was a fortnight ago. While Batra,who is attending an FIH congress in Malaysia,is unreachable,an HI official says the the announcement will positively be made next week. However,the firm that is dealing with all prospective teams and players says it might take another two weeks before the two teams are named.

Meanwhile there have been a few other setbacks for the HIL. They were reportedly in talks with India Cements,who own the Chennai Super Kings,for the Chennai franchise. However,a top India Cements official says that the company is not interested.

The protracted legal battle with Indian Hockey Federation/ World Series of Hockey and attempts to woo a few key performers away from the rival body have also slowed down progress. It is learned that Batra,next week,is supposed to meet half a dozen Indian players who participated in the first edition of the WSH.

No communication

The inordinate delay is making the existing franchises concerned about their investments which may not compare to what franchise owners have paid in the IPL but,at approximately Rs 70 crore,are not insignificant either more so because there has been no communication between the teams and Hockey India after September.

They havent written or spoken to us in the last couple of months, confirmed a top Jaypee Group official. Its rather strange. Anyway,we have our set-up in place. Once they announce the remaining two teams and the dates for players auction,we will sit and zero in on which players to choose. Since it starts in January,Im guessing they still have time.

In truth,they hardly have any. WSH have started laying bare the details of their second edition beginning next month. Its high time Hockey India League did the same.