Hockey India League kicks off; DSGP takes the lead over Gonasika

Hockey India League kicks off with a mixed bag of results, showcasing impressive performances and a lackluster crowd turnout.

The much-awaited Hockey India League finally got off the mark at the Birsa Munda Stadium here on Saturday (December 28, 2024) and if the opening day was anything to go by, it was a mixed bag, both on and off the field as Delhi SG Pipers held Team Gonasika 2-2 before taking the bonus point in the shootouts.

With the opening ceremony cancelled due to the demise of former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, it wasn’t the grand start that Hockey India had hoped for. The hour-long sound-and-light show did help but it took time for the stands to gradually fill up. That the opening day of a hockey tournament in the city didn’t manage a packed house should be food for thought for the organisers.

The competition on ground fared better and the teams, despite the mix of nationalities, didn’t show any confusion. Clearly the hard work to create a cohesive group and understanding among players had paid off. Also impressive were some of the Indian players, long out of the national stage but clearly not finished yet. Birendra Lakra impressed at the back for Gonasika, Nikkin Thimmaiah did the same upfront. But the man who kept them in the game was English goalkeeper Oliver Payne with a series of saves to deny DSGP.

DSGP, with a line-up vastly different from what they would have envisaged after the auction, played the way Graham Reid’s Indian side used to – on the attack with a tight defence, fitness being the keyword. It paid off with an early lead, Argentine Tomas Domene converting the first penalty corner in the 4th minute.

Gonasika, truer to coach Paul Revington’s style, was more about using the flanks to open up the field and create chances. Captain Manpreet Singh, playing higher than he does for the national side, almost got the equaliser in the 13th with a lovely steal but ended up with a missed swing in front of the goal before Struan Walker struck in a rebound off the post from Nikkin Thimmaiah’s shot in the 26th minute to level scores.

The teams added a goal apiece within five minutes in the 3rd quarter to end level in regulation time before DSGP edged ahead in the shootouts. The crowd though had already started walking out much before.

The result: DSGP 2 (Tomas Domene 4, 39) bt Team Gonasika 2 (Struan Walker 26, Victor Charlet 35) via shootouts.