National Women’s Hockey League 2024-25 Kicks Off in Ranchi: A Watershed Moment for Indian Women’s Domestic Hockey Structure

The National Women’s Hockey League 2024-25 has officially begun in Ranchi, marking a significant moment for Indian women’s domestic hockey. The secretary general of Hockey India, Bhola Nath Singh, expressed his excitement for the league, stating that it will raise the bar for domestic competition and provide a crucial platform for top domestic players to showcase their talent.

The opening day of the league saw some thrilling matches, with the Hockey Association of Odisha dominating Hockey Haryana with a 4-1 victory. Meanwhile, Hockey Maharashtra comfortably defeated Manipur Hockey 5-1, Hockey Madhya Pradesh beat Hockey Bengal 1-0, and Hockey Jharkhand secured a 3-0 win over Hockey Mizoram.

Sandeep Pradhan, Director General of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), was present at the opening ceremony and interacted with players from all eight participating teams. These teams, including Hockey Haryana, Hockey Maharashtra, and host team Hockey Jharkhand, are considered the cream of Indian women’s domestic hockey, having qualified from the recent Hockey India Senior Women National Championship.

Government officials from Jharkhand, including Manoj Kumar and Sushant Gaurav, were also in attendance to support the league. Additionally, key figures from Hockey India, such as High-Performance Director Herman Kruis and Senior Women Chief Coach Harendra Singh, were present to witness the action-packed opening day.

With such a strong lineup of teams and support from various stakeholders, the National Women’s Hockey League is set to be a game-changer for Indian women’s domestic hockey, providing a platform for players to shine and potentially pave the way for future stars of the national team.