Rajdhani Royals to face Nyayadhani Knights in landmark first Chhattisgarh Hockey League

Raipur: Rajdhani Royals will be taking on Nyayadhani Knights in the first Chhattisgarh Hockey League as the tournament kicks off on October 22 at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium here.

The league is India's first official state hockey league and will feature a total of 18 matches with six teams playing in the tournament. The final is set to take place on November 1 to crown the inaugural champion of the league.

League Ambassador, Sardar Singh, highlighted that the league will help players from Chhattisgarh get a platform to prove themselves. "The inception of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League is an initiative that sets the benchmark for everyone to follow, and I’m confident that the hockey players from Chhattisgarh will benefit from this greatly," Singh said.

He also emphasised that his role gives him the chance to nurture talent in Chhattisgarh. "Becoming CHL’s League Ambassador is a great opportunity for me to help Chhattisgarh’s talented players develop into potential national and international stars. The eyes of the entire hockey fraternity is going to be on this league.

"All the squads are well balanced with the perfect mix of experience and raw talent. I’m confident that the level of hockey on display in the inaugural season is going to be special," he added.

The league is organised by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Government of Chhattisgarh. The tournament will see 132 aspiring and marquee players participating. The selection was held over extensive trials.

The marquee players include India's Olympians Surender Kumar, Pradeep Mor, SV Sunil, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Shamsher and Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, headlining the six franchises.

Apart from Rajdhani Royals and Nyayadhani Knights, the other franchises that will participate are Bailadila Bulls, Sanskardhani Strikers, Chakradhar Champions and Mainpat Titans. The squads were recently finalised and have covered representation from different regions of the state. The coaches and the assistant coaches were also announced recently.

Check the support staff of the franchises:

Nyayadhani Knights:

Rajnish Mishra (Head Coach)

Mrinal Choubey (Assistant Head Coach)

Gopeshwar Kahara (Team Manager)

Mainpat Titans:

Rajinder Singh Jr. (Head Coach)

Amitabh Manikpuri (Assistant Head Coach)

Deepesh Choubey (Team Manager)

Chakradhar Champions:

Devesh Chauhan (Head Coach)

Ravi Pareek (Assistant Head Coach)

Dhaniram Yadav (Team Manager)

Rajdhani Royals:

Ajitesh Roy (Head Coach)

Rashmi Sandhya Ekka (Assistant Head Coach)

Anis Ahmed (Team Manager)

Sanskardhani Strikers:

Ajay Kumar (Head Coach)

Anuraj Shrivastava (Assistant Head Coach)

Yogesh Dwivedi (Team Manager)

Bailadila Bulls:

Md. Riyaz (Head Coach)

Rakesh Toppo (Assistant Head Coach)

Jahangir Khan (Team Manager)

Check the complete fixtures:

22nd October:

5:30 pm: Women’s Exhibition Match

7:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Nyayadhani Knights

23rd October:

5:30 pm: Mainpat Titans vs Bailadila Bulls

7:30 pm: Chakradhar Champions vs Sanskardhani Strikers

24th October:

5:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Chakradhar Champions

7:30 pm: Nyayadhani Knights vs Sanskardhani Strikers

25th October:

5:30 pm: Nyayadhani Knights vs Bailadila Bulls

7:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Mainpat Titans

26th October:

5:30 pm: Sanskardhani Strikers vs Bailadila Bulls

7:30 pm: Chakradhar Champions vs Mainpat Titans

27th October:

5:30 pm: Nyayadhani Knights vs Chakradhar Champions

7:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Sanskardhani Strikers

28th October:

5:30 pm: Nyayadhani Knights vs Mainpat Titans

7:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Bailadila Bulls

29th October

5:30 pm: Sanskardhani Strikers vs Mainpat Titans

7:30 pm: Chakradhar Champions vs Bailadila Bulls

30th October: Rest day

31st October:

5:30 pm: Semi-final 1 – League 1st vs League 4th

7:30 pm: Semi-final 2 – League 2nd vs League 3rd

1st November:

7 pm: Finals

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