A new chapter in Indian sport will unfold on Thursday when the much-awaited inaugural edition of the Premier Hockey League kicks-off at the floodlit Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad.

Among the many firsts that the event will bring to Indian hockey, the most important would be the touch of professionalism, with 13 foreign players showcasing their skills in the Rs. 71 lakh prize-money extravaganza.

The two-tier league, to be played over a month, has been devised in American baseball league style, tailor-made for television and featuring teams with macho names.

The matches will be played in a double-leg round-robin format, with five teams, featuring star players, in the Premier Division vying for the winner's purse of Rs. 30 lakh and as many teams in the First Division, the winner of which will bag Rs 400,000.

The sudden exit of Gerard Rach as national coach combined with the recent caustic remarks of Indian Hockey Federation chief KPS Gill on current and former players might have marred the festive air to some extent but the players are nevertheless enthusiastic about the event.

The spotlight will be on Pakistan's penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas, who will play for Hyderabad Sultans, led by India skipper Dilip Tirkey, in the Premier Division.

The hosts take on Sher-e-Jalandhar, captained by star Indian forward Gagan Ajit Singh, in the inaugural tie.

Bangalore Hi-Fliers, led by Arjun Halappa, Maratha Warriors (Viren Rasquinha) and Chennai Veerans (Ignace Tirkey) are the other teams in the fray.

Gagan, who opted to be silent on the Gill's remarks that he needs to go back to the basics, said that his team will start as favourites as it has a strong defence and attack.

Maratha Warriors too have a strong defence and equally aggressive players in Dhanraj Pillay and Viren Rasquinha with talented India custodian Adrian D'Souza guarding the post.

Chennai Veerans have a good mix of experience and youth, with Ignace Tirkey at the helm. Bimal Lakra, Spanish star Juan Paablo Escarre and goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan make the team more formidable.

Dilip Tirkey's Hyderabad Sultans, despite having the services of Sohail Abbas and Wasim Ahmed (both Pakistan), look a moderate team while Bangalore Hi-Fliers have a balanced side with Prabodh Tirkey, Mudassar Ali Khan, Len Aiyappa and Pawal Lakra in their ranks.

The First Division, which kicks-off on Friday, comprises Lucknow Nawaabs, led by Rajneesh Mishra, Chandigarh Dynamos (Sukhbir Singh Gill), Imphal Rangers (Brojen Singh), Delhi

Dazzlers (Anurag Raghuvanshi) and Bengal Tigers (Iqbal Singh).

The matches feature four quarters of 17-1/2 minutes each. But more radical would be the reduction of players on each side as a match heads for the tie-breaker.

While 11 players will be on the field during the 70-minute regulation time, a side would be reduced to nine in the first extended time of 15 minutes. The number would go down to seven in the next 10 minutes.

Teams:

• Complete hockey coverage