Top Oz players sign up for Hockey India League

Several Australian stalwarts including Mark Knowles, Fergus Kavanagh, Liam de Young, Jamie Dwyer and Edward Ockenden have agreed to sign up with the Indian Hockey League, which is scheduled from January 5 to February 3. The other notable Australians include Luke Dorner, Russell Ford, Kiel Brown, Simon Orchard, Christopher Ciriello and Rob Hammond. They join 150 Indians and 15 Pakistanis who have already signed up for the HIL Players’ Auction. Over the coming days, Hockey India League will unveil the players from other parts of the world who have signed up for the players’ auction and are keen to play in the tournament that has been given a window by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Hockey India Secretary-General and Hockey India League chairman Narinder Batra said the presence of a number of Australian stars would add to the quality of the league. “It is our pleasure to unveil a star-studded list of Australian players who have signed contracts to be available for the Hockey India League Players Auction,” he said.

The 28-year-old Knowles is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world and has played close to 200 international games. Knowles was named the FIH Young Player of the Year in 2007 and by that time he had already been part of the team that won the Olympic Games at Athens in 2004 and the Champions Trophy in Chennai in 2005.

Kavanagh, 27, is another respected defender with an experience of more than 150 internationals. The Western Australian has been a key member of Australia’s triumphs in the FIH World Cup, Commonwealth Games 2010, besides being part of the Champions Trophy winning squads in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Ockenden, de Young and drag-flicker have all been vital to Australia’s stupendous success in times recent and come with a collective experience of 582 matches.