Chhattisgarh has given India some of the best hockey players like Leslie Claudius, the best right half who won four medals including three gold and one silver in the Olympics along with Udham Singh, Renuka Yadav, the midfielder who participated in the Rio Olympics in 2016 along with Vincent Lakra as a centre forward in the Indian team that finished fifth in the Hockey World Cup in Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 1978, Saba Anjum Karim, the centre forward of the Indian women’s hockey team that won gold in the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and silver in Melbourne in 2006. Along with this, best international hockey players like Neeta Dumre, Mrinal Choubey, Balwinder Kaur, Renuka Rajput and Balwinder Kaur and Tanveer Zaman and Sheikh Jaffer also come from the land of Chhattisgarh. Despite the hockey talent present in the villages of Chhattisgarh’s tribal region, the number of hockey players playing for India is quite less compared to the hockey players coming from other tribal dominated states of the country like its neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand. Very few people might be aware that Shahrukh Khan’s famous hockey film ‘Chak De’ India is inspired by the golden success of the Indian women’s hockey team in the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Whether it’s cricket, hockey, kabaddi, badminton, kho-kho, volleyball, and archery, professional leagues have played a crucial role in India’s development of strong international teams. The IPL, the world’s most expensive league, has played a significant role in India’s rise to prominence in the shorter formats of cricket. History shows that the first professional franchise-based men’s Premier Hockey League (PHL) in India, launched in 2005 and lasted until 2007. The Hockey India League (HIL) launched in 2013, ran until 2017 and then closed. Hockey India subsequently launched a women’s hockey league alongside the men’s in 2024-25. The first T20 Indian Premier League (IPL), launched for men in 2008, quickly becoming India’s biggest cricketing brand. The Odisha government initially signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Hockey India for the men’s and women’s senior and junior hockey teams from 2018 to 2023 at a cost of Rs 150 crore (approximately Rs 30 crore annually). It was extended to Rs 434.12 crore for ten years in 2023. Now, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi of the BJP-ruled Odisha government has extended it to 2036.
Taking inspiration from neighboring Odisha and aiming to bring Indian hockey back to its peak, Chhattisgarh, under the aegis of Hockey India, hosted its first franchise-based official state-level hockey league, the Chhattisgarh Hockey League (CHL), from October 21st to November 1st at the Sardar Vallabhbhai International Hockey Stadium in Raipur. The Chhattisgarh Hockey League will undoubtedly lay the foundation for the future of Chhattisgarh hockey. The Chhattisgarh Hockey League (CHL) is a meaningful effort to develop a strong hockey infrastructure in Chhattisgarh. Under the vision of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, the Chhattisgarh Hockey League is a significant initiative by the state government to transform Chhattisgarh into a hockey hub. The CHL aims to build a strong grassroots hockey infrastructure in Chhattisgarh, nurture hockey experts, and inspire hockey players from the state to pursue a career in hockey, preparing them for a spot on the national team. Speaking as the guest of honor at the Chhattisgarh Hockey League (CHL) opening ceremony on October 21st, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse, rightly noted that the league is a major step toward strengthening hockey at the grassroots level. Chhattisgarh Hockey League ambassador, former hockey Olympian Sardar Singh, also considers the league a great platform for the state’s hockey players to establish themselves at the national level and contend for a spot in the Indian hockey team.
CHL Ambassador Sardar Singh said, “Through the Chhattisgarh Hockey League, the Chhattisgarh government is providing a platform for hockey players from the state to establish themselves in hockey. The Chhattisgarh Hockey League can prove to be a major platform for discovering and nurturing hockey talent at the grassroots level in the state. Currently, the Indian hockey teams that won gold medals at the Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games have a majority of players from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Chhattisgarh, especially its tribal regions, has immense hockey talent, and the only need is to discover and nurture them. When players from the state played alongside hockey Olympians like Lalit Upadhyay, Gurjant Singh, SV Sunil, and Shamsher in the Chhattisgarh Hockey League, their own game flourished and they gained confidence to play on a bigger stage. By playing in a major league like the state-level CHL, I am confident that in the next three to four years, hockey players from Chhattisgarh will be seen playing on various Indian hockey teams.” The live telecast of Chhattisgarh Hockey League on Jio can definitely provide various talented hockey players to the national hockey selectors at Hockey India.
The CHL is participated by six franchise-based teams from different cities of Chhattisgarh: Rajdhani Royals, Nyaydhani Knights, Sanskardhani Strikers, Chakradhar Champions, Bailadila Bulls and Mainpat Titans. Each of the six teams participating in the Chhattisgarh Hockey Team has a total of 22 players, including 18 players from the state and four international or national players from outside the state. In the CHL, initially all the six teams played against each other in a round-robin league and then the top four teams advanced to the semi-finals, with the finals to be played on November 1.
Hockey stars Lalit Upadhyay and Gurjant Singh, who led India to consecutive bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, along with the 2020 bronze-winning team’s attacking center half Shamsher Singh and fullback Surendra Kumar, and SV Sunil, who played at the 2012 London Olympics, along with international stars like Devendra Walmiki and Jaskaran Singh, all played for various teams in the CHL as marquee hockey players. With Lalit Upadhyay, Gurjant, Shamsher, Surendra Kumar, and several former hockey Olympians like SV Sunil, participating for various state teams, Chhattisgarh players have had the opportunity to hone their hockey skills. 108 players from Chhattisgarh and 24 guest players participated in the CHL. All 18 matches, semi-finals, and finals for the Chhattisgarh Hockey League men’s teams will be held in Raipur. To promote women’s hockey in Chhattisgarh and encourage them to participate in hockey in a big way, an exhibition match for women was also organised on the last day of CHL.
Former hockey Olympian Sardar Singh, who led India to the Asian Games gold medal in 2014, is the ambassador of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League. Sardar Singh’s association with the CHL will help inspire young players and strengthen India’s hockey heritage. The CHL is deeply rooted in Chhattisgarh’s culture. The CHL’s mascot, “Baghawa,” is inspired by the tiger, while its slogan, “Chalo Re Sangi, Hockey Khelbo,” reflects the local nature of the initiative and encourages the people of Chhattisgarh to take up hockey as a sport. The Chhattisgarh Hockey League (CHL) carries a total prize pool of ₹2.1 million (2.1 million rupees), with the winning team receiving ₹1.1 million (1.1 million rupees) and the runner-up receiving ₹6 million (6 million rupees). Individual rewards will also be awarded to outstanding players. Hockey fans enjoyed the broadcast of all league matches on Jio Hotstar. With the support of the Chhattisgarh government, the league provided players from the state with the opportunity to play alongside experienced players. The league seeks to strengthen Chhattisgarh’s contribution to Indian hockey and inspire the next generation of players.