The prize money for the ongoing edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) was increased noticeably, Hockey India announced on Wednesday.
As per the announcement, the winner of the men’s competition, featuring eight teams, will pocket ₹3 crore. The runner-up and third place finisher will earn ₹2 crore and ₹1 crore, respectively.
In the previous edition in 2017, the winning team, Kalinga Lancers, had bagged ₹2.5 crore. The runner-up, Dabang Mumbai, had claimed ₹1.25 crore, while the third-placed Uttar Pradesh Wizards won ₹75 lakh.
In the inaugural women’s competition, set to kick off in Ranchi on Sunday with four teams, the winning side will secure ₹1.5 crore. The second and third placed teams will get ₹1.5 crore and ₹50 lakh, respectively.
There is partial pay parity for men and women as far as individual awards are concerned.
Hero MotoCorp, the league’s title sponsor, announced that the player-of-the-match in both men’s and women’s matches will receive ₹50,000 each. The player-of-the-tournament will receive ₹20 lakh each.
Best goalkeeper, up-and-coming player and top scorer in the men’s section will receive ₹10 lakh each. In the women’s section, these awards will entail a cash prize of ₹5 lakh each.
Altogether, HIL 2024-25 will distribute ₹10 crore as prize money in comparison to about ₹6 crore in 2017.
