Confident Captain Harmanpreet Singh Ready To Lead India Into New International Hockey Campaign: ‘We Have the Confidence to Win'

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: India national men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh opened up about winning all major tournaments for his country, including a gold medal in Hockey for India in the Olympics.

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The Indian hockey team won consecutive bronze medals at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, achieving back-to-back medals after 41 years. Harmanpreet said that after the Hockey India League, the Indian side will have adequate time to prepare for the World Cup.

Speaking to ANI, Harmanpreet said, “Yes, we believe (that India will win major tournaments). In the last two Olympics, we won the bronze medal, and we have the confidence to win major tournaments. After this league, we have adequate time to prepare for the World Cup.”

The Hockey India League 2026 will be held from January 3 to January 26 2026, across Chennai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar.

The men's HIL will kick off on January 3, 2026, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai, with an exciting opener between the home side, Tamil Nadu Dragons, and Hyderabad Toofans, setting the tone for nearly a month of world-class hockey action.

The men's league will feature eight teams - Tamil Nadu Dragons, Hyderabad Toofans, JSW Soorma Hockey Club, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers (defending champions), Vedanta Kalinga Lancers, Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, and HIL Governing Council.

Meanwhile, the women's HIL will begin on December 28, 2025, at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium in Ranchi.

The opening clash will see Ranchi Royals take on SG Pipers, followed by a week of competitive fixtures among the four participating teams - Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, JSW Soorma Hockey Club, and Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.

The Men's HIL 2025-26 will be played across three vibrant, hockey-loving cities, celebrating the sport's spirit nationwide. The opening leg will be hosted in Chennai from January 3 to 9 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, where teams will kick off their campaigns.

The action will then move to Ranchi for the second leg, scheduled from January 11 to 16 at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium, before heading to Bhubaneswar for the third and final leg from January 17 to 26 at the iconic Kalinga Stadium.

Each team will face the others once in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. The knockout stage -- comprising Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator on 23 January, followed by Qualifier 2 on 25 January -- will all take place in Bhubaneswar.

The season will culminate in a grand finale on 26 January 2026 at the Kalinga Stadium, featuring the 3rd/4th place match earlier in the evening, followed by the much-anticipated Final to crown the new HIL champions.
The Women's HIL will follow a double round-robin format, with each of the four teams facing every other side twice.

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Following the league stage, the top two teams on the points table will qualify for the Final on 10th January 2026, which will decide the champions of the Women's Hockey India League 2026.