'Overseas Headache': HIL Staring At Exodus As Top European Nations Refuse Green Light For Player Participation

Last Updated:September 03, 2025, 15:41 IST

The Netherlands, Germany, England and Belgium have not given the nod for the participation of their players in the HIL due to fixture congestion.

Hockey India League. (X)

The second season of the Hockey India League stares at a mass exodus of overseas players following the decision of some of the top European nations’ decision to not give their players the go-ahead to participate in the tournament in India.

The Netherlands, Germany, England and Belgium have not given the nod for the participation of their players in the HIL due to fixture congestion.

The previous season of the HIL, the first after a seven-year hiatus, featured nearly a hundred overseas players, with the aforementioned nations making up over fifty percent of the foreign workforce. As a result, the number is expected to face a sharp dip.

The stakeholders were seen in discussion with the Hockey India authorities on the sidelines of the ongoing Asia Cup event, urging the national body to take a stand and open talks with the European nations.

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September 03, 2025, 15:41 IST

News sports 'Overseas Headache': HIL Staring At Exodus As Top European Nations Refuse Green Light For Player Participation

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