Hockey India League: Wave Group buys Delhi franchise

New Delhi: Business house Wave Group has taken up the Delhi franchise in the much-hyped Hockey India League, making it the fourth of the six teams which will compete in the tournament starting in January next year.

Hockey India on Monday announced that Wave Group, under Gurdeep Singh 'Ponty' Chadha, would own the Delhi franchise in the HIL. This would be the business group's maiden foray in the world of sports.

Hockey India's Secretary General and HIL Chairman Narinder Batra said the entry of Wave Group into Indian sports augured well for hockey. "Over the past few weeks, when we have been interacting with him, we have seen Mr. Ponty Chadha's infectious enthusiasm. We believe that the Delhi franchise is in very good hands," he said.

Delhi is the fourth of the six teams that will compete in the tournament starting in January next year.

"We are pleased that we are moving towards establishing Hockey India League as the world's best hockey league. We have so far signed up with four major business groups - Sahara India for Lucknow, Jaypee Group for Punjab, Patel-Uniexcel Group for Ranchi and now Wave Group for Delhi," he said. "We are in advanced talks with business houses for the other two franchisees."

Wave Group Chairman and Managing Director Chadha said the Group had been waiting for the right opportunity to get into sports. "I was born in Uttar Pradesh, which has been an incredible nursery for hockey from the legendary Dhyan Chand's time. We are delighted to be able to associate ourselves with what promises to be a dynamic league," he said.

Wave Group now has an impressive portfolio of businesses including sugar manufacturing, distilleries, paper manufacturing, real estate and multiplexes and retail management.

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