Interview | I hope more Japanese players participate in the HIL, says Koji Yamasaki Premium

Koji Yamasaki, lone Japanese player in 2024-25 HIL, shares his experience, hopes for more Japanese players in the league.

Forward Koji Yamasaki is the lone Japanese player in the 2024-25 Hockey India League (HIL).

In fact, Yamasaki, a member of the Delhi SG Pipers, is the only foreign player from an Asian nation to feature in the HIL’s latest edition.

Yamasaki was a member of the 2018 Asian Games gold-medal-winning Japanese team in Jakarta. India, one of the favourites to win the title, lost to Malaysia in the semifinals to finish with a bronze medal and miss out on a chance to qualify directly for the Tokyo Olympics.

While the 28-year-old visited India earlier to play for his national side, he did not have the opportunity to know the country well. As he gets used to his multi-national HIL side and spends quality time with the Indian players in a comparatively relaxed atmosphere, he has developed a liking for the country and the league.

Yamasaki sat down with The Hindu to speak about his career, his experience in the HIL, and more. Excerpts:

The HIL is big and fantastic, it is fun with a lot of people. It has been a good experience for me. I really like it. I want to play here again.

Yeah, I have [made] friends, such as Sumit (Kumar), Rajkumar (Pal) and Iktidar (Ishrat). They are very kind.