Pakistan Hockey League to be formally launched on October 14

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) will formally launch the Pakistan Hockey League here on October 14 as part of its efforts to revive and modernise the country's national sport.

The PHF announced that the inaugural season of the league will be held in 2027, with six to eight franchise teams expected to participate.

The league is being developed on the model of the FIH Hockey Pro League and the Indian Hockey League, with the PHF aiming to create a modern and professional structure for hockey in Pakistan.

The federation said renowned international players will also feature in the Pakistan Hockey League, allowing national players to play and share dressing rooms with them.

The league will also seek to bring the private sector into Pakistan hockey, while creating commercial opportunities through ticketing, hospitality and grassroots development programmes.

According to the PHF, Pakistani hockey professionals will have the opportunity to work alongside experienced international experts, helping develop expertise within the country's hockey ecosystem.

The federation said the broader objective of the league is to establish a modern and professional system for hockey in Pakistan, with regular competitive opportunities, investment, performance science and youth development among its key targets.

The PHF had previously announced that the inaugural Pakistan Hockey League would be staged in the first quarter of 2027.

The federation had said in August that it was working with its partners to make the league a significant development for Pakistani hockey, with grassroots development, professional coaching, improved structures and international exposure forming part of its plans.

For the unversed, the revised model of the Pakistan Hockey League has been under consideration since 2016, but the proposal was repeatedly shelved due to different issues including permissions, scheduling and, ultimately, financial constraints.

In 2022, the proposal gained traction again, and the local media had then reported that the details of the league were to be announced in June that year, with the tournament to be staged in September.

The reports then had also suggested that an office was established in Lahore in early 2022, while the PHF had hired former project director of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Salman Sarwar Butt as one of the consultants, but it ultimately did not take place.