New Delhi [India], October 13 : The Hockey India League Player Auction 2024/25 kicked off in thrilling fashion, with all eight franchises spending heavily to acquire key players from the Indian Men's Hockey team. The notable mentions were Mandeep Singh, Manpreet Singh, and Amit Rohidas, who attracted significant bids.
Mandeep Singh was picked up by Team Gonasika for 25 lakh, while his teammate Manpreet Singh also joined the same franchise for 42 lakh. Meanwhile, Amit Rohidas was snapped up by Tamil Nadu Dragons for 48 lakh.
Gurjant Singh was the first player to be sold, fetching 19 lakh, but it was star drag-flicker and Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh who stole the spotlight, becoming the costliest buy in the first half at 78 lakh. Both Gurjant and Harmanpreet were acquired by Soorma Hockey Club, owned by JSW Sports.
Abhishek became the second-most expensive player, acquired by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for 72 lakh, while Hardik Singh went to UP Rudras for 70 lakh.
According to the press release by Hockey India (HI), other notable acquisitions included Jugraj Singh and Sumit, who were sold for 48 lakh and 46 lakh, respectively. Jugraj joined Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, while Sumit was picked up by Hyderabad Toofans. Nilakanta Sharma (34 lakh to Hyderabad Toofans) and Sanjay (38 lakh to Kalinga Lancers) were also among the key purchases.
In the category of overseas goalkeepers, Ireland's David Harte emerged as the top buy, with Tamil Nadu Dragons winning the bid for 32 lakh. Germany's Jean-Paul Danneberg (27 lakh to Hyderabad Toofans), the Netherlands' Pirmin Blaak (25 lakh to Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers), and Belgium's Vincent Vanasch (23 lakh to Soorma Hockey Club) were also acquired. Indian goalkeepers Suraj Karkera and Pawan were sold for 22 lakh and 15 lakh, respectively.
Full list of players sold in the first half of Day 1
1. Gurjant Singh - Soorma Hockey Club - 19 lakh
2. Mandeep Singh - Team Gonasika - 25 lakh
3. Manpreet Singh - Team Gonasika - 42 lakh
4. Sukhjeet Singh - Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers - 42 lakh
5. Amit Rohidas - Tamil Nadu Dragons - 48 lakh
6. Nilakanta Sharma- Hyderabad Toofans - 34 lakh
7. Sanjay - Kalinga Lancers - 38 lakh
8. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay - UP Rudras - 28 lakh
9. Vivek Sagar Prasad - Soorma Hockey Club - 40 lakh
10. Hardik Singh - UP Rudras - 70 lakh
11. Harmanpreet Singh - Soorma Hockey Club - 78 lakh
12. Sumit - Hyderabad Toofans - 46 lakh
13. Abhishek - Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers - 72 lakh
14. Jugraj Singh - Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers - 48 lakh
15. Krishan B Pathak - Kalinga Lancers - 32 lakh
16. Shamsher Singh - Delhi SG Pipers - 42 lakh
17. Jarmanpreet Singh - Delhi SG Pipers - 40 lakh
18. Rajkumar Pal - Delhi SG Pipers - 40 lakh
19. David Harte (IRL) - Tamil Nadu Dragons - 32 lakh
20. Jean-Paul Danneberg (GER) - Hyderabad Toofans - 27 lakh
21. Oliver Payne (GBR) - Team Gonasika - 15 lakh
22. Pirmin Blaak (NED) - Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers - 25 lakh
23. Tomas Santiago (ARG) - Delhi SG Pipers - 10 lakh
24. Vincent Vanasch (BEL) - Soorma Hockey Club - 23 lakh
25. Suraj Karkera - Team Gonasika - 22 lakh
26. Pawan - Delhi SG Pipers - 15 lakh.
The auction will unfold over three days, with the men's auction taking place on 13th and 14th October, followed by the women's auction on 15th October. Each franchise will build a 24-player squad, comprising 16 Indian players (including four junior players) and 8 foreign players.
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