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IHF has taken this step and hopefully the BCCI can rise from their pettiness and absolute lack of accountability as well.

Floodlights, miniskirts, 71 lakhs

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The National Premier League will make hockey the latest glam game with a whopping prize money purse of Rs 71 lakhs.

Taking a cue from the baseball league in the US, ice hockey in Canada or the football league in the UK, the Indian Hockey Federation has devised this whole new concept of hockey, which will kick off on January 13 next year at Hyderabad.

Apart from the name of the game, almost everything is different, even the team names. If the US circuit has basketball biggie Lakers and baseball team Red Sox, the India’s inaugural hockey Premier League will have teams like Sher-e-Jallandhar, Maratha Warriors, Chennai Veterans, Hyderabad Sultans, Bangalore High-Flyers, Delhi Dazzlers, Lucknow Nawabs, Imphal Rangers, Bengal Tigers and Chandigarh Dynamos.

If that’s not enough glamour, the soccer policy of having star foreign players like Cheema Okeries and Majid Baksars in club teams is also being allowed for the premier league.

Just like the ice hockey format, the Rs 71-lakh premier league would have two tiers with five teams each. The league will follow a round robin format with all teams playing each other twice.

To increase viewer interest in the sport, each game will have four quarters of 17 minutes and 30 seconds each, instead of two halves. "That would increase the speed of the game tremendously," said KPS Gill, Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president.

The winner of Tier I will take home Rs 30 lakh while the runners up will get Rs 10 lakh. The winner of Tier II will get Rs 4 lakh and the runners up Rs 2.5 lakh.
The tournament, which would be held under flood lights at Hyderabad’s Gachchibawli stadium, would even have mini-skirt clad cheerleaders cheering for each team. Ask them why under flood lights and you’ll know they’ve covered each and every angle in their preparation. "So that people can come back from office, have a bath and watch the premier league. So that kids can come back from school and college, finish their homework and watch the premier league," answered Venkateish.

In fact, even Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has shot for a premier league commercial, which would be on air in a few days, Venkatiesh informed.
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Everythings cool except the cheerleaders. thats just overkill!