HIL: Soorma Hockey Club ropes in Sardar Singh, Rani Rampal as coaches

Sardar Singh will join Soorma Hockey Club as the Men's Mentor and Indian Coach, while Rani will take charge as the Women's Mentor and Indian Coach. In the Men's coaching setup, along with Sardar Singh, will be International Coach Jeroen Baart, Analytical Coach Michael Cosma, and Technical Consultant Arjun Halappa. Meanwhile, Jude Menezes (International Coach), Harvinder Singh (Assistant Coach), and Sean Dancer (Analytical Coach) complete the line-up for the Women's team, as per a press release from Soorma Hockey Club. The JSW Sports group, with a heritage of creating sports culture in India over the last ten years, owns multiple teams in different leagues like Delhi Capitals (men and women) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), Haryana Steelers in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), and Pretoria Capitals in SA20. They have now added two teams from HIL to their arsenal. "We have put together a coaching team of the highest pedigree that gives us confidence from the get-go. What Sardar, Rani, Arjun, Harvinder, and Jude have achieved with and for the country is remarkable, and they bring with them invaluable experience to the table. In Jeroen, Michael, and Sean, we have international staff who will give this team a different perspective. "Our philosophy and vision behind all our initiatives in Indian sport is to promote and develop the sport from the ground up, which reflects in our choices for Indian coaches and upcoming youth development programs that we intend to launch soon. Our focus will be on developing the sport in the catchment areas of Punjab and Haryana, given their heavy contribution to the talent pool. We are excited about the difference these teams will make to sport in the country," commented Divyanshu Singh, COO of JSW Sports, ahead of the auction. Sardar Singh, a former Indian Men's Hockey Team Captain with 314 caps to his name, will bring his immense knowledge to the franchise as the Indian Coach of the Men's Team. Sardar was named Player of the Tournament in the first edition of HIL in 2013 with Delhi Waveriders. He played all editions of the league since and has coached the Indian Sub Junior and Hockey5s Teams post-retirement. "JSW has shown immense faith in me by choosing me to mentor the Men's team of Soorma Hockey Club. The Hockey India League is a great platform for young and talented players and coaches alike. It's also a fantastic product for fans of the sport. I am eager to share my knowledge and help the young players from India reach greater heights along with the rest of the coaching team. This is an exciting project, and we will do everything to make it a success," Sardar Singh shared. Rani, hailed as the 'Queen of Indian Hockey,' has inspired a generation of women to take up the sport with her breathtaking performances for the Indian Women's Hockey Team. She has scored an astounding 205 goals in 254 outings for the National Team and was a crucial cog in the team that made it all the way to an unprecedented high by qualifying for the 3rd/4th Place match of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. "I have been meaning to explore areas that hockey has to offer beyond just being a player. So when this opportunity to be a mentor and a coach for Soorma Hockey Club came my way, I decided to take it. This is the first time a league of this stature is being conducted for women in the country, and it is going to help raise the standard of hockey. The auction is coming up soon, and we aim to assemble the best team in the League. I am looking forward to the season and will be giving all I can to help this team succeed," Rani added. The revamped HIL 2024-25 will feature 8 men's teams and 6 women's teams, marking the first standalone women's league in the country that will run concurrently with the men's competition. In its previous edition back in 2017, Kalinga Lancers had become champions, beating Dabang Mumbai for the title. The league will get underway on December 28, with matches played in two venues: Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. The women's league will conclude on January 26, 2025, in Ranchi, while the men's final is slated for February 1, 2025, in Rourkela.