- Six teams will participate, giving players from the state a major platform
- The league will play a key role in connecting players from the state with national-level experience and a competitive environment – Shri Arun Sao
- The Deputy Chief Minister unveiled the logo, tagline and mascot
Preparations are underway to create a new picture of hockey in Chhattisgarh. The state’s Sports and Youth Welfare Department is organizing the first season of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League, recognized by Hockey India. To be held at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Hockey Stadium in the capital Raipur, this league will be the first state-level hockey league to be organized in any state of the country, and it will be conducted in a fully professional and commercial format on the lines of the Hockey India League. The league matches are likely to be played from 21 October to 1 November.
Deputy Chief Minister and Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Shri Arun Sao today unveiled the league’s logo, tagline and mascot at the Naveen Vishram Bhawan in the capital Raipur. At the launch event, he provided detailed information about the league. He said that the main objective of the league is to provide a major platform to Chhattisgarh’s young hockey talents and give them an opportunity to play alongside and learn from the country’s finest players. Secretary of the Sports and Youth Welfare Department Shri Yashwant Kumar, Director Ms. Akanksha Shiksha Khalkho, Joint Director Shri Prabhakar Pandey and Chhattisgarh Hockey Association President Shri Firoz Ansari, along with several departmental officials, were also present at the league’s launch event.
Deputy Chief Minister Shri Sao said that Chhattisgarh has a rich tradition of hockey and that the state is home to many talented players. The Chhattisgarh Hockey League will provide these talents with an opportunity to advance and will play an important role in connecting the state’s players with national-level experience and a competitive environment.
Shri Sao said that six teams representing different regions of the state will take the field in the first season of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League. These include Capital Royals, Chitrakoot Challengers, Sanskardhani Strikers, Chakradhar Champions, Nyaydhani Knights and Mainpat Titans. These teams will bring the state’s different regional identities and sporting talent together on one platform.
The league’s logo is based on the map of Chhattisgarh. The saffron and green colours in it represent the spirit of Indianness, while the forward-moving orange line symbolizes the continuous progress and aspiration of the people of the state to move ahead. The league’s tagline is “Chalav Re Sangi, Hockey Khelbo”. In the Chhattisgarhi dialect, this tagline conveys a sense of belonging and invitation, meaning—”Come on friend, let’s play hockey.”
The league’s official mascot is a tiger named “Baghwa”. It symbolizes Chhattisgarh’s dense forests and rich wildlife heritage. Baghwa conveys a message of courage, strength and fearlessness, and represents the fighting spirit of the players and their aspiration to establish their dominance on the field.
All six teams will play league matches in the competition. Based on these matches, the top four teams in the points table will advance to the semifinals. After the semifinals, the winner will be decided in the final match. During the matches, all umpires and technical officials will be appointed by Hockey India, ensuring technical quality and fairness in the competition.
The Chhattisgarh Hockey League will not be limited to a sporting competition alone. Special entertainment programmes will also be organized every day during the tournament. This will give spectators an experience of entertainment along with exciting hockey matches. A special feature is that entry for spectators to all league matches will be completely free. This is expected to bring large numbers of sports enthusiasts and young people to the stadium.