15 October,2024 02:03 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
The auction saw teams strategically investing in players to strengthen their squads for the upcoming season(Pic: Hockey India League)
The players' auction for the men's edition of the upcoming Hockey India League (HIL) concluded in Delhi on Monday, marking the league's much-anticipated return this December after a seven-year hiatus.
All eight teams successfully filled their rosters using their allotted INR 4 crore budget.
Leading the bidding was Indian captain and star defender-dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh, who garnered the highest bid of INR 78 lakh from Soorma Hockey Club.
Among international players, Germany's Argentine dragflicker Gonzalo Peillat emerged as the priciest overseas acquisition, fetching INR 68 lakh from Hyderabad Toofans. Peillat's reputation as a top-tier dragflicker has made him an integral addition to the Toofans' lineup, further enhancing the competitive spirit of the league.
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The auction, held over two days, saw teams strategically investing in players to strengthen their squads for the upcoming season. Each franchise approached the bidding with a clear vision of their team dynamics, aiming to balance seasoned players with emerging talents.
Also Read: 'Punjabi aagaye oye': Overjoyed Harmanpreet Singh shares thoughts on being top buy
Soorma Hockey Club
Goalkeepers: Vincent Vanasch (Belgium), Mohith H S, Jashandeep Singh
Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Jeremy Hayward (Australia), Gurinder Singh, Nicolas Della Torre (Argentina), Sukhvinder, Ashu Maurya, Pradip Mandal
Midfielders: Vivek Sagar Prasad, Victor Wegnez (Belgium), Jonas De Geus (Netherlands), Harjeet Singh, Nicolas Poncelet (Belgium), Prabhjot Singh, Ankush, Sunit Lakra
Forwards: Gurjant Singh, Dayaan Cassiem (South Africa), Boris Burkhardt (Netherlands), Maninder Singh, Pawan Rajbhar, Harish Somappa Mutagar
Delhi SG Pipers
Goalkeepers: Tomas Santiago (Argentina), Pawan, Adarsh G
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Rohit, Pau Clapes (Spain), Joginder Singh
Midfielders: Shamsher Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Willott KY (Australia), Ankit Pal, Christopher Ruhr (Germany), Flynn Ogilvie (Australia), Jorrit Croon (Netherlands), Manjeet, Thokchom Kingson Singh
Forwards: Tomas Domene (Argentina), Nicolas De Kerpel (Belgium), Dilraj Singh, Aditya Lalage, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Sumit Kumar, Iktidar Ishrat
Hyderabad Toofans
Goalkeepers: Jean-Paul Danneberg (Germany), Bikramjit Singh, Vikas Dahiya
Defenders: Gonzalo Peillat (Germany), Matthew Dawson (Australia), Arthur De Sloover (Belgium), Devindar Sunil Valmiki, Amandeep Lakra, Sundaram Rajawat, Mukul Sharma, Akshay Ravindra Avhad
Midfielders: Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Zachary Wallace (Great Britain), Rahim Aakib Sayyed, Rajinder, Darshan Vibhav Gawkar, Maico Casella (Argentina)
Forwards: Shilanand Lakra, Timothy Daniel (Australia), Terrance Pieters (Netherlands), Arshdeep Singh, Talwinder Singh, Irengbam Rohit
Also Read: 'Sweet memories' of Paris bronze nudged Sreejesh to accept a mentorship role in HIL
Kalinga Lancers
Goalkeepers: Krishan Pathak, Tobias Reynolds-Cotterill (Great Britain), Sahil Kumar Nayak
Defenders: Sanjay, Mandeep Mor, Alexander Hendrickx (Belgium), Arthur Van Doren (Belgium), Antoine Kina (Belgium), Partap Lakra, Sushil Dhanwar, Rohit Kullu
Midfielders: Aran Zalewski (Australia), Moriangthem Rabichandra, Enrique Gonzalez (Spain), Mukesh Toppo, Rosan Kujur, Nicholas Bandurak (Great Britain)
Forwards: Boby Singh Dhami, Dilpreet Singh, Thierry Brinkman (Netherlands), Angad Bir Singh, Roshan Minz, Gursahibjit Singh, Deepak Pradhan
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers
Goalkeepers: Pirmin Blaak (Netherlands), Ali Khan, Atal Dev Singh Chahal
Defenders: Jugraj Singh, Hayden Beltz (Australia), Gauthier Boccard (Belgium), Rupinder Pal Singh, Tom Grambusch (Germany), Jasjit Singh Kular
Midfielders: Lachlan Sharp (Australia), Jaskaran Singh, Sean Findlay (New Zealand), Pardeep Mor, Pradhan Poovanna Chandura, Affan Yousuf, Atul Deep, Yogesh Malik Singh, Pardeep Singh Sandhu, Thounaojam Ingalemba Luwang
Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Florent Van Aubel (Belgium), Sam Lane (New Zealand), Gursewak Singh
Tamil Nadu Dragons
Goalkeepers: David Harte (Ireland), Duco Telgenkamp (Netherlands), Prince Deep Singh, S. Senthamizh Arasu
Defenders: Amit Rohidas, Jip Janssen (Netherlands), Kothajit Singh, Moritz Ludwig (Germany), Anand Y, Anand Lakra, Pruthvi GM
Midfielders: Thies Prinz (Germany), Tom Craig (Australia), Mohd. Raeel Mouseen, Blake Glovers (Australia), Chandan Yadav, Shesha Gowda, M. Dhilipan, Arun J
Forwards: Selvam Karthi, Nathan Ephraums (Australia), Majji Ganesh, Uttam Singh, Abharan Sudev
Team Gonasika
Goalkeepers: Oliver Payne (Great Britain), Suraj Karkera, Kamalbir Singh
Defenders: Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Amir Ali, Birendra Lakra, Yogember Rawat, Timothy Howard (Australia), Dipsan Tirkey, Anmol Ekka
Midfielders: Manpreet Singh, Vishnukant Singh, Lee Moton (Scotland), Jack Waller (Great Britain), Jacob Draper (Wales), Mustapha Cassiem (South Africa), Yashdeep Siwach, SK Uthappa
Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Jeroen Hertzberger (Netherlands), Araijeet Singh Hundal, Tom Boon (Belgium), SV Sunil, Nikkin Thimmaiah
UP Rudras
Goalkeepers: Prashant Kumar Chauhan, James Mazarelo (Great Britain), Pankaj Kumar Rajak
Defenders: Lars Balk (Netherlands), Kane Russell (New Zealand), Surender Kumar, Marc Recasens (Spain), Priyobarta Talem, Sunil Jojo, Sharda Nand Tiwari, Prashant Barla
Midfielders: Hardik Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Floris Wortelboer (Netherlands), Seve Van Ass (Netherlands), Manmeet Singh, Jobanpreet Singh
Forwards: Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Alvaro Iglesias (Spain), Tanguy Cosyns (Belgium), Gurjot Singh, Mohd. Zaid Khan, Sudeep Chirmako