Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 18 (ANI): The inaugural season of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League will kick off with Rajdhani Royals taking on Nyayadhani Knights on October 22 at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium, Raipur.

A total of 18 matches will be played among the six teams and the last two teams standing will play an electrifying final on November 1. 

"The inception of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League is an initiative that sets the benchmark for everyone to follow and I'm confident that the hockey players from Chhattisgarh will benefit from this greatly. Becoming CHL's League Ambassador is a great opportunity for me to help Chhattisgarh's talented players develop into potential national and international stars. The eyes of the entire hockey fraternity is going to be on this league. All the squads are well balanced with the perfect mix of experience and raw talent. I'm confident that the level of hockey on display in the inaugural season is going to be special," said Sardar Singh, League Ambassador, Chhattisgarh Hockey League, according to a release.

The Chhattisgarh Hockey League (CHL) is the first official state-level hockey league of Chhattisgarh, organised by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Government of Chhattisgarh.

The league has been conceptualised to provide hockey players from the state with a structured and competitive platform to showcase their talent, gain valuable competitive experience and pursue opportunities at the state, national and international levels. The inaugural season of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League will feature six franchise- based teams representing different regions of the state, the release said.

The franchise-based tournament, featuring 132 players who have been selected over extensive trials, will be a mix of both aspiring hockey players and marquee names. Notable names that would be a part of the league are Indian hockey stalwarts who will be marquee players, including Olympians Surender Kumar, Pradeep Mor, SV Sunil, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Shamsher and Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, who headlined the six franchises. 

The six squads were recently finalised and represent different regions of the state: Rajdhani Royals, Bailadila Bulls, Sanskardhani Strikers, Chakradhar Champions, Nyayadhani Knights and Mainpat Titans. Together, the six teams bring the diverse sporting identity and regional character of Chhattisgarh into the inaugural season of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League. 

The coaching appointments were also announced recently and are central to the league's ambition of providing players with a structured and competitive platform to develop their skills, improve their understanding of the game and pursue opportunities at the state, national and international levels. The assistant coaches are specifically picked from Chhattisgarh to ensure continuity for a long-term pipeline at the grassroots level. 

The six franchises and their respective head coaches and assistant coaches, along with team managers, are: Nyayadhani Knights:Rajnish Mishra (Head Coach) Mrinal Choubey (Assistant Head Coach)Gopeshwar Kahara (Team Manager)

Mainpat Titans: Rajinder Singh Jr (Head Coach)Amitabh Manikpuri (Assistant Head Coach)Deepesh Choubey (Team Manager) 

Chakradhar Champions: Devesh Chauhan (Head Coach)Ravi Pareek (Assistant Head Coach)Dhaniram Yadav (Team Manager)  

Rajdhani Royals: Ajitesh Roy (Head Coach)Rashmi Sandhya Ekka (Assistant Head Coach) Anis Ahmed (Team Manager) 

Sanskardhani Strikers: Ajay Kumar (Head Coach) Anuraj Shrivastava (Assistant Head Coach)Yogesh Dwivedi (Team Manager) 

Bailadila Bulls: Md. Riyaz (Head Coach) Rakesh Toppo (Assistant Head Coach) Jahangir Khan (Team Manager)

Final Fixtures: 

22nd October: 5:30 pm Women's Exhibition Match7:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Nyayadhani Knights23rd October: 5:30 pm: Mainpat Titans vs Bailadila Bulls7:30 pm: Chakradhar Champions vs Sanskardhani Strikers24th October: 5:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Chakradhar Champions 7:30 pm: Nyayadhani Knights vs Sanskardhani Strikers25th October: 5:30 pm: Nyayadhani Knights vs Bailadila Bulls7:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Mainpat Titans 26th October: 5:30 pm: Sanskardhani Strikers vs Bailadila Bulls7:30 pm: Chakradhar Champions vs Mainpat Titans 27th October: 5:30 pm: Nyayadhani Knights vs Chakradhar Champions7:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Sanskardhani Strikers

28th October: 5:30 pm: Nyayadhani Knights vs Mainpat Titans 7:30 pm: Rajdhani Royals vs Bailadila Bulls29th October 5:30 pm: Sanskardhani Strikers vs Mainpat Titans7:30 pm: Chakradhar Champions vs Bailadila Bulls30th October: REST DAY 31st October: 5:30 pm: Semi Final 1 - League 1st vs League 4th 7:30 pm: Semi Final 2 - League 2nd vs League 3rd 1st November: 7 pm: Finals. (ANI)