Africa: 4 Hockey Players Set to Play in India  x2
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| Africa |
December 10, 2004
AllAfrica.com, Africa
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Augustine Hwata
Harare
FOUR of Zimbabwe's best hockey players are set to go to India next month to play in the newly-established Premier League Hockey in the populous Asian country.
Hockey Association of Zimbabwe president Custom Kachambwa said the four will join players from other hockey playing nations.
"India has sent an invitation to all hockey playing nations to send their top players for their Premier Hockey League.
"This is an all-expenses paid for trip with the players set to get 2 000 euros each at the end of the league in February," said Kachambwa.
HAZ, Kachambwa said, asked clubs to nominate their top players, who were, in turn, subjected to a rigorous assessment before the final four were picked.
HAZ is also hopeful that the exposure that the players will get in India will come in handy when they are picked for the national team on their return.
According to the Indo-Asian News Service, the idea for a Premier Hockey League was mooted more than five years ago but is now only expected to start on January 13, 2005, in Hyderabad.
Almost 20 foreign players drawn from South Africa, Pakistan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain and Nigeria will join their counterparts in India for the league programme.
The news service said they would be 10 teams with five teams in the Premier Division while an equal number would be playing in the First Division.
Maratha Warriors, Chennai Veerans, Hyderabad Sultans, Sher-e-Jalandhar and Bangalore High-Flyers will comprise the Premier Division teams.
The First Division will consist of Delhi Dazzlers, Lucknow Nawabs, Imphal Rangers, Bengal Tigers and Chandigarh Dyn amos.
The India Hockey Federation described the setting up of a league as "a landmark journey of recapping the glory of hockey and rebuilding India's supremacy in the game internationally".
Meanwhile, HAZ will host an All-Comers Indoor Hockey Festival at the Stodart Complex in Mbare on Sunday.
Video footage of the proceedings will be sent to the International Hockey Federation as part of a development promotion.
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