October 13th 2024.
The city of New Delhi was buzzing with excitement as the Hockey India League auction kicked off on Sunday. The first day saw intense bidding wars as all eight franchises vied for the top Indian men's hockey players to join their team.
The star of the day was undoubtedly India captain Harmanpreet Singh, who was snatched up by Soorma Hockey Club for a whopping Rs 78 lakh. This made him the most expensive player to be acquired on day one of the auction. But he wasn't the only one to fetch a high price, as all the core players of the Indian men's hockey team were in high demand.
The second-most expensive player was Abhishek, who was bought by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for Rs 72 lakh. Right behind him was Hardik Singh, who was acquired by UP Rudras for Rs 70 lakh. Other notable purchases from the first round included Amit Rohidas, who went to Tamil Nadu Dragons for Rs 48 lakh, and Jugraj Singh, who was bought for the same amount by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.
The goalkeepers were also in hot demand, with Ireland's David Harte being the top buy at Rs 32 lakh by Tamil Nadu Dragons. Other international goalkeepers like Germany's Jean-Paul Danneberg, the Netherlands' Pirmin Blaak, and Belgium's Vincent Vanasch were also snapped up by different teams.
Meanwhile, Indian goalkeepers Suraj Karkera and Pawan were also bought by Team Gonasika and Delhi SG Pipers for Rs 22 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, respectively. The first half of day one saw a total of 14 players being sold, with Gurjant Singh being the cheapest at Rs 19 lakh and Harmanpreet Singh being the most expensive at Rs 78 lakh.
It was an intense and exciting day for all the franchises as they spent big to secure the best players for their teams. The auction will continue for the next few days, and it will be interesting to see which players will go under the hammer next. Stay tuned for more updates on the Hockey India League auction.
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