Hockey India League secures new sponsor for fifth season

The Indian Oil Corporation has agreed a deal to sponsor the Hockey India League domestic club competition.

State-owned Indian Oil will sponsor the 2017 edition of the competition, which got underway in Mumbai on Saturday.

This year’s HIL will be contested by six franchises and marks the fifth season since the league’s inception in 2013.

HIL chairman Mushtaque Ahmad said: “This kind of support to the sport will go a long way to ensure we can bring together the best talent in the world and have a highly successful tournament.”

Subodh Dakwale, executive director of corporate communications and branding at Indian Oil, added: “Indian Oil has been promoting sports in a big way over the past decades, including hockey. Indian Oil has 15 national level hockey players on its rolls, out of which three players are currently representing India as part of the national team.”