ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey League (PHL), an initiative aimed at introducing a professional franchise-based competition to the country, will be formally launched in Islamabad on Oct 14, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said on Wednesday.

The inaugural season is planned for 2027, with the league expected to feature six to eight franchise teams in its first edition.

According to the PHF, the rights to the league were awarded to Mediacast following a competitive bidding process earlier this year. The league is being developed on the lines of the FIH Hockey Pro League and the Indian Hockey League, with international players expected to be contracted alongside Pakistani players.

The PHF said the participation of foreign players would provide Pakistani players with an opportunity to play and train alongside international talent, while Pakistani hockey professionals would also work with experienced international experts involved in the league.

The federation said the PHL was intended to attract private-sector investment through franchise ownership and corporate sponsorship, as well as generate commercial opportunities through broadcasting and digital content, merchandising, advertising, hospitality and ticketing.

It added that the league would also include grassroots programmes and could contribute to the development of a more commercially sustainable hockey structure in the country.

The PHF said the PHL was part of its efforts to modernise hockey infrastructure and move the sport beyond its traditional dependence on national and departmental competitions.

“Pakistan’s hockey history is extraordinary,” the federation said in the press release announcing the launch, pointing to the country’s Olympic gold medals, World Cup titles and Asian Games successes.

“The challenge before us is to ensure that this history becomes the foundation of a modern and sustainable future, rather than merely a source of nostalgia,” it said.

The federation described the league as an attempt to build a professional hockey ecosystem around regular competition, investment, performance science, youth development and commercial sustainability.

The Oct 14 launch is expected to formally set the process in motion for the first PHL season in 2027.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2026