This story is from December 10, 2019

FIH Pro League tweaked to help players, up finances: Thierry Weil

The FIH Pro League, the second edition of which will get under way on January 18, has created a buzz with India making its foray into the competition.
FIH Pro League tweaked to help players, up finances: Thierry Weil
Thierry Weil. (TOI Photo)
BENGALURU: The FIH Pro League, the second edition of which will get under way on January 18, has created a buzz with India making its foray into the competition.
The League had teething troubles in its inaugural version and the forthcoming edition has been tweaked to make it less taxing on the players and financially viable. Speaking to select Indian media persons on Tuesday, International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) CEO Thierry Weil sounded confident about the sustainability and success of the league in the long run.

“The first season was a success, not only measured by us but also by the players. The players did express that the schedule was tiring so we have decided to cut travel by half. We also cut the grand finale to one, shorten the season to make space to have at least 6-8 weeks for national teams to prepare for the Olympics. The grand finale will not be reintroduced because of the complexity of having to find a nation to host it. It is a risk for the nation to declare a year or two in advance that they will host the final, not knowing if their team will participate in it. So, I think we should stick to the league system, which means that at the end of the season, the team which collects the maximum points will win the league.”
With the top nine teams playing each other home and away in a six-month window, the fixtures seem more like bilateral series but Weil is optimistic it will hold the spectators’ interest, especially in India. "For me, the Pro League is like a quarterfinal or semifinal of a major event like World Cup every weekend. It’s now our responsibility to make people understand that these are not just friendly games."
WORLD CUP BACK IN INDIA
Over the decade, India has been the most favoured host country of the FIH. Two World Cups and as many junior World Cups have been held in India apart from the Champions Trophy. FIH drew flak from European countries after India won the bid to host the 2023 World Cup as well, to be held in Bhubaneswar. But Weil defended the move and pointed out that reuse of infrastructure was essential.
“I come from a football (FIFA) background. Whenever we organized a World Cup, we have been criticized for creating a white elephant — stadium and venues which are potentially used once or are not being reused. So in that sense, I'm extremely happy that we as a sport have decided to reuse a venue like Bhubaneswar for the second time because a lot of effort and investment has gone into building this venue,” pointed out the Frenchman who took over the role at the FIH last year.
Weil also added that India’s bid is financially viable, an essential aspect for FIH, considering the investment made in the Pro League.
On the next edition of the junior World Cup, the 56-year-old said: “This Junior World Cup will be held in December 2021. The host is yet to be announced as we are in the final stage of getting it finally confirmed. The announcement will be made in January next year.”
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