HIL seeks Government support for better turnout in its last leg in Bhubaneswar

Notwithstanding the encouraging response from television and social media, the Hockey India League (HIL) top brass is concerned about the poor turnout and has requested the Government authorities to ensure a good attendance during the league’s final leg in Bhubaneswar.

Despite free entry, Ranchi has seen a partially-filled stadium on most days, barring a packed house for the women’s league final. Chennai hosted the opening leg of the men’s engagements in front of near-empty stands.

“Even though there was a decent crowd in Chennai during the Junior World Cup, the stands were empty for HIL. The thin attendance in Ranchi may be due to cold evenings. We have requested the Odisha Government to gather people for HIL matches in Bhubaneswar, which is a major hockey centre,” Hockey India (HI) president Dilip Tirkey told The Hindu on Wednesday.

Tirkey said HIL matches could not be staged in north India, which has a traditional fan base, because of the December-January window. “We cannot take the HIL to Punjab and Delhi due to fog during winters. There may be disruptions in matches and travel.”

Nevertheless, HIL presented ‘encouraging’ social media and television figures. As per a statement, the social media views for the HIL has crossed one billion in two weeks whereas last season’s overall figure was one billion. HIL has recorded a 37 per cent increase in television viewership (4.98 million in 2024-25 as against this edition’s 6.83 million) for the first six matches of the season.