The inaugural Chhattisgarh Hockey League (CHL) gets underway in Raipur on Thursday, 23 October 2026, with Rajdhani Royals — led by Olympian Lalit Kumar Upadhyay — facing Nyayadhani Knights, captained by Olympic medallist Surender Kumar, in the opening fixture. A women's exhibition match precedes the main game, placing women's hockey on the CHL stage from day one.

India's First State-Government Hockey League

The CHL is organised by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Chhattisgarh, and sanctioned by Hockey India, making it the first hockey league in the country to be run directly by a state government. The season runs until the final on 1 November under the tagline 'Chalo Re Sangi, Hockey Khelbo'. The format pairs six franchises, each led by a marquee Olympian, with local talent sourced through open trials — 132 players were shortlisted, with each 22-member squad assembled thereafter. All six assistant head coaches are from Chhattisgarh, a deliberate move to build coaching depth within the state.

Franchise Captains and Key Names

The six franchise captains are all Indian internationals: Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (Rajdhani Royals), Surender Kumar (Nyayadhani Knights), Shamsher Singh (Sanskardhani Strikers), SV Sunil (Chakradhar Champions), Pradeep Mor (Mainpat Titans), and Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (Bailadila Bulls). Their presence is intended to serve as both mentorship and competitive anchor for Chhattisgarh's emerging players.

A League Timed with Indian Hockey's Golden Moment

The CHL launches against the backdrop of one of Indian hockey's strongest seasons in decades. At the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya earlier this month, both the men's and women's national teams won gold — the first time India has claimed both titles at the same edition of the Games. The women's team beat China 1–0 to win their first Asian Games gold since 1982; the men's side defeated Malaysia 5–1 to defend their title. Both teams have now qualified directly for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The men's team had also won Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

What Government and Officials Said

Arun Sao, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, invoked a historical parallel at the league's launch: 'I proudly recall that exactly 25 years ago on this very day, the Indian Junior Hockey Team won the World Cup; notably, a distinguished member of that golden, victorious squad, Devesh Chauhan, is serving as the head coach for the Chhattisgarh team in this tournament. This competition would prove to be a milestone in establishing hockey at an excellent, professional level within the state.' Sao also highlighted the state's hockey legacy, citing players including Vincent Lakra, Mrinal Chaubey, Renuka Yadav, and Saba Anjum as examples of Chhattisgarh's contribution to Indian hockey.

Chhattisgarh's Hockey Heritage and Sporting Ambition

The league is rooted in a deep regional hockey tradition. Bilaspur-born Leslie Claudius won three Olympic golds and a silver and captained India at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Renuka Yadav of Rajnandgaon — long described as the 'hockey nursery of India' — became Chhattisgarh's first woman Olympian at Rio 2016. The CHL follows the Khelo India approach of building excellence through wider participation; Chhattisgarh hosted the first Khelo India Tribal Games earlier this year, where hockey was a medal sport. Under Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the state has set its sights on becoming a leading sporting state, and the league is designed to give local players a structured, competitive pathway toward state, national, and international hockey.